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COPYRIGHT DEPOSm 



THE 

STORY OF MONTANA 



BY 



KATE HAMMOND FOGARTY 




NEW YORK AND CHICAGO 
THE A. S. BARNES COMPANY 



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COPYRIGHT, 191 6, BY 
THE A. S. BARNES COMPANY 




AUG 28 1916 

©CI.A438166 

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PREFACE 

The writing of the "Story of Montana" was under- 
taken while the author was on the staff of the Butte 
PubHc Library to meet the demand for a suitable text- 
book for schools, and also for the many lovers of 
Montana who wish to become familiar with the main 
facts of its early as well as present-day history without 
having to consult many separate volumes. 

Much interesting source material has been studied, 
and it is hoped that others may be led to consult 
these sources with profit to themselves. 

The author gladly acknowledges her indebtedness to 
those who have aided her in gathering the material; to 
those who have granted permission to use certain illus- 
trations, and more than all to those who by their 
encouragement have enabled her to overcome many 
obstacles. 

KATE HAMMOND FOGARTY 



i&' /^7^f 



CONTENTS 



PART I. Early Explorers in Montana: page 

1. The First AMiite Men to go up the Missouri River ... 1 

2. The Boats they Came in 14 

3. The People they Met 18 

4. The Scenery they Saw 22 

5. The Animals they Hunted 26 

6. The Posts they Built 28 

7. The Journals they Wrote 30 

PART II. The Indians: 

1. Before the ^Miite Men Came 35 

2. What the Explorers Learned about the Indians 41 

3. The Fur Traders among the Indians 45 

4. Great Peace Councils 53- 

5. Sources of Indian History 59 

PART III. The Fur Trade: 

1. The Men at the Head of the Fur Trade 61 

2. The Fur Companies of Montana 65 

3. The Posts of the American Fur Company 74 

4. Transporting Goods to the Mountains 80 

5. Noted Trappers 83 

6. The Hudson Bay Company in Montana 84 

7. The Journals and Letters of the Fur Traders 87 

PART IV. Visitors to the Posts: 

1. Prince Maximilian 91 

2. Catlin the Indian Painter 94 

3. Audubon, the Naturalist 94 

4. Father DeSmet 96 

5. Gov. Isaac I. Stevens 97 

6. The Books they Wrote 100 

V 



vi CONTENTS 

PART V. The Missionaries to the Indians: page 

1. The Iroquois 103 

2. Flathead Delegations to St. Louis 105 

3. Father DeSmet 109 

4. St. Mary's^Mission 112 

5. St. Ignatius Mission 115 

6. Blackfeet Missions 117 

7. Crow Missions ' . 118 

8. Father DeSmet's Journals 119 

PART VI. The First Settlers: 

1. Western Emigration 120 

2. Gold in Montana 122 

3. Settlers in Montana 127 

4. Road Agents and Vigilantes 133 

5. Montana Made a Territory 146 

6. Later Discoveries 150 

7. Books Written by Pioneers 155 

PART VII. The Soldiers in Montana: 

1. Early Military Expeditions 157 

2. Military Roads 171 

3. Montana Forts 173 

/ 4. Battles Fought in Montana 175 

5. Sources of MiUtary History 192 

PART VIII. Development of the State: 

1. Early Quartz Days 196 

2. Exploration of Yellowstone National Park 204 

3. Montana's Early Governors 207 

4. Building of Railroads 208 

5. Agricultural Valleys 212 

6. Stock-raising 217 

7. Development of Rich Mines 224 

8. Later Governors 226 

9. Montana a State 226 

PART IX. Transformation of the Indians: 

1. Treaties 229 

2. Reservations 231 

3. Soldiers and Indians 237 



CONTENTS vii 

PAGE 

4. Friendly Chiefs 238 

5. Francis Leupp and Indian Legislation 242 

6. Indian Farmers 246 

PART X. National Problems ix Montana: 

1. Irrigation . . . . 250 

2. Dry-land Farming 257 

3. Forestry 262 

Conclusion 271 

Titles for Composition and Original Research 275 

Questions on the State of Montana 279 

Pronouncing Glossary 292 

Index 293 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGE 

The State Capitol at Helena Frontispiece 

Head of the Big Blackfoot Valley 3 

The Flatheads in Bull-Boats 16 

The Buffaloes Roamed in Great Herds 27 

Pend d'Oreille Indian Village 34 

Relics of Indian Days 36 

The Indian's Wagon 38 

The Buffaloes were tame 40 

Lodges made of Buffalo skins 44 

Old Fort Owen 49 

All that is left of Fort Benton 66 

Gov. Stevens Distributing Goods 99 

Chariot, Chief of the Flatheads 104 

A Little Flathead . 108 

House Built by the Indians Ill 

The Mission of St. Ignatius 113 

The House which was built for them 115 

First House of the Missionaries 116 

Old Fort Benton 119 

The Great Salt Lake Trail 1^21 

An old Prospector Panning out Gold 130 

The old Stage Coach 134 

"Robber's Roost," a Road Agent's Resort 145 

A Mud Wagon ' 149 

Cantonment Stevens in the Bitter Root Valley 161 

Cantonment W'right. Lieut. MuUan's Winter Quarters 163 

The First Army Station in Yellowstone Park 173 

Custer's Last Stand 183 

A Sioux Warrior's Grave 185 

Prospector Panning out Gold 198 

Hydraulic Mining 202 

Anaconda Hill 203 

A " Jerk-Line Twelve " 209 



X LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 

Sheep at the River 213 

An Old Time Cattle Ranch 215 

A Ranch Interior 216 

The Old "OX" Cow Camp 218 

Sheep in Custer County 220 

Sheep Shearing 222 

Hauling Wool to the Warehouse . 224 

A Miner's Cabin in Butte 225 

Real Cowboys 227 

Pend d'Oreille Indians 232 

Painted Lodges of the Black feet 241 

The Rising Generation 244 

The Last of the Buffaloes 249 

The Great Falls of the Missouri in their Natural state and after 

completion of Power Development 259 



LIST OF MAPS 

FACING PAGE 

1. Lewis and Clark Route and Verendrye Route 8 ^ 

2. Tribal Homes of the Indians 22 v 

3. The River Systems of the Northwest 72'^ 

4. Governor Stevens' route to Washington. Father DeSmet's First 

Trip to the Flatheads 96 ^ 

5. First Settlements 146 ^ 

6. MiUtary Posts and Military Roads . 172 

7. The State of Montana showing important Towns 226 



THE STOEY OF MONTANA 

PART I 
EARLY EXPLORERS IN MONTANA 

1. The First White Men to go up the Missouri 

Looking for the Pacific Ocean. — The first white 
men to go up the Missouri had a great object in 
view. They were looking for the Pacific Ocean. It 
seems strange to us that the year 1743 had been 
reached before the people of America had learned 
the first thing about the western continent. But 
just consider for a moment the conditions as they 
were in those days. How many miles would you 
care to travel at one stretch on horseback, or in a 
stage-coach.^ Or how far do you think you would 
care to go up a river if you had to row all the way.^ 
Canoes were their boats, and horses or oxen their 
only means of land locomotion. Steamboats were 
not used until 1819 and such a thing as a railroad 
was not known anywhere until 1830. 

Then there were, of course, no supply stations 
and they had to carry with them provisions enough 
to last until their return, and they w^ere in great 
danger of falling into the hands of the hostile Indians, 



2 EARLY EXPLORERS IN MONTANA 

with no way of escape; or of being badly wounded 
and unable to return to their homes. 

With all these difficulties in the way, men were 
indeed brave who would venture far in the wilder- 
ness, and even having such a great object as the 
discovery of an ocean had not charms for many. 

The French fur traders. — The French fur trad- 
ers were great men for seeking new lands. They 
were continually pushing farther into the wilderness 
and building trading posts where it would seem im- 
possible for white men to go. These Frenchmen 
were friendly to the Indians, because thej^ wanted 
their trade. They would go into their lodges and 
become like members of the tribe and the Indians 
would tell them stories about their life in the 
wilderness. 

Verendrye and his sons. — One of the traders 
was much interested in a story often told by the 
Indians, of a river which flowed from far up in the 
western mountains, and of another river which flowed 
in the opposite direction and which had its head- 
waters so near that of the first river that only the 
mountains stood between them, and this second 
river flowed down into a great salt sea, so great that 
no Indian could venture far out in a canoe. 

This French trader, Pierre Gaultier de Varennes, 
Sieur de la Verendrye, was an emploj^ee at Fort 
Nipogen, a trading post north of Lake Superior. He 
very much desired to see this great salt sea; but 
how was the feat to be accomplished.^ He knew that 
in order to do it he would have to have a number of 
companions, and they would need provisions enough 



THE FIRST \\HITE MEN 3 

to last them several years. Who would put up the 
capital for such an enterprise? He had a hard time 
to persuade those who were in a position to help 
him, that his desire to explore this unknown country 
was not a wild scheme. 

At last the fur company by whom he was em- 
ployed agreed to supply the needed money, and it 




Head of the Big Blackfoot Valley 

was hoped that he would bring back furs enough to 
cover the expenses. 

Expedition leaves Montreal. — In 1731 they left 
Montreal; Verendrye, his three sons, a nephew, a 
Jesuit missionary, and a number of boatmen and 
hunters. It was twelve years from the time of their 
first start until they beheld the Rockies. 

They went up the Assiniboine River and then up 
the Mouse or Souris River and from there over into 



4 EARLY EXPLORERS IN MONTANA 

what is now Dakota, until they came to the Mandan 
Villages on the Missouri River near the point where 
now stands Bismarck. 

Fort de la Reine. — This trip was not all made 
at one time. They stopped and built forts and 
traded along the way. The fort on the Assiniboine 
River was named Fort de la Reine. While they were 
at this fort, Verendrye went back to Montreal twice 
to take his furs and to buy supplies. Once he went 
over into the Mandan Country and there he met an 
Indian who had just come from the Far West. This 
Indian told him that by taking a round-about way 
they could eventually reach the Pacific. Verendrye 
would have gone on with him then, but about that 
time his interpreter deserted him and his bags of 
presents for the Indians were stolen, and he had to 
go back to Fort de la Reine for reinforcements. 

Attacked by Sioux. — Before he was able to return, 
the fort was attacked by Sioux Indians, and one son, 
the missionary and some of the men were massacred. 
About the same time the nephew died. Verendrye 
himself was taken ill and was not able to go again 
to the Mandan Village. His two sons were undaunted 
by these failures and agreed to go alone on the 
expedition. 

Verendrye's sons. — In the spring of 1742, the 
sons, Pierre and the Chevalier, with two Canadians, 
went over into the Mandan Country expecting to 
find some one who could guide them over the moun- 
tains. They were disappointed, for the Mandans 
did not know the way, and no Indians happened to 
be in their village at that time who had been in 



THE FIRST ^MIITE MEN 5 

that country. However two of the Mandans agreed 
to take the explorers to some Indians who were 
friends to a tribe which could lead the way. 

Route of the Verendryes. — The route that they 
followed after leaving the Mandans has been puz- 
zling to historians, for in the Verendrye records they 
speak of the Beaux Homines, the Little Foxes, the 
Pioyas, the Horse Indians, the Bow Indians, and 
the Choke Cherries, and not one of these tribes can 
be positively identified, for our Indians are all known 
now by different names. In the '* Contributions to 
the Historical Society of Montana," the route is 
given as following up the Missouri River to the 
Gate of the Mountains and then crossing over to 
the Wind River Mountains; but later historians 
agree more fully with Francis Parkman, who in his 
''Half Century of Conflict" gives a map of the route 
as he has studied it out. According to Parkman, 
they went only into the southeastern part of Mon- 
tana and no farther west than the Wind River 
Range. 

When they had reached the country of the Bow 
Indians they thought their way would be clear, for 
these Indians were about to go on a war expedition 
against the Snake Indians. The Bows knew that 
the Snakes could find the way to the Pacific, for 
they had had captives of the Snake tribe who had 
told them about seeing the great salt sea. The ex- 
plorers did not even reach the mountains, for at 
that point the Bow Indians became frightened at 
hearing that the Snakes were about to attack their 
village, and fled panic-stricken from that part of the 



6 EARLY EXPLORERS IN MONTANA 

country. It was useless for the Frenchmen to try 
to go on without the escort of the Indians, so they 
turned back, hoping to return at some future time. 

A monument in the Choke Cherry country. — 
On their way back to the Mandan Village, they 
visited the Choke Cherry Indians, and while in their 
country planted on an eminence a lead plate on 
which were engraved the arms of France, and erected 
a monument of stones which they called Beau 
Harnois, in honor of the Governor of Canada. 

Lost landmarks. — For many years historians 
searched for these two landmarks, but all to no effect, 
and it was decided that the plate had been washed 
into the river, and the monument leveled to the 
ground. No one could be really sure what places 
the explorers had visited unless these could be 
found. 

Buried one hundred and seventy years. — One 
February day in the year 1913, two children were 
going home from school in Pierre, South Dakota, 
when one of them stubbed her toe against a pro- 
truding object. They dug up the piece and found it 
to be a curious bit of metal. They carried it home 
and some one knew what it must be. It was the 
Verendrye plate! Come to light after one hundred 
and seventy years! 

Still a mystery. — But historians are still puzzled. 
It was found farther down on the Missouri than 
some of them had supposed it would be, and their 
theories had been upset. However, one question 
has been definitely settled, and that is: that the 
Verendryes did not go near the Gate of the Moun- 



THE FIRST ^^T^ITE MEN 7 

tains — indeed it is doubtful if they came into 
Montana at all. 

The Verendryes' return to Canada. — The Veren- 
dryes reached Fort de la Reine in July, 1744. Their 
father received them with great joy, for they had 
been gone so long that he thought they were lost. 
They were not discouraged because of their failure 
to reach the Pacific. They hoped to make the 
attempt once more, for they were full of enthusiasm 
over the opportunities which awaited those with the 
daring to seek them, but they could not interest 
the ministers of the government of Canada in the 
discoveries they had made. They went to Quebec, 
hoping to find some officials or merchants there who 
would be interested, but no one would listen to 
them. Their fur-trading enterprise had not been 
successful and the dealers were not willing to risk 
any money. 

Sixty years after. — Many of the Indians who 
gazed with wonder at the white men in the Veren- 
drye expedition nevegr saw one again because it was 
sixty years before another white man set foot in the 
Upper Missouri country. The Revolutionary War 
had taken up the attention of the entire continent; 
and then, too, shortly after the Verendrye expedi- 
tion, the western part of the continent fell into 
the hands of Spain and neither the French nor the 
English had any right or interest in exploring the 
country. 

Upper Missouri becomes United States territory. — 
Not until it came into the possession of the United 
States was any serious thought taken of the explora- 



8 EARLY EXPLORERS IN MONTANA 

tion of the upper Missouri. When Thomas Jefferson 
became President of the United States, he saw the 
opportunity to accomphsh a plan which he had long 
cherished. This was to procure the Oregon Country, 
for the United States. He had watched the move- 
ments of the Canadian fur companies in that country 
and saw how they were gaining in wealth and in 
influence over the Indians. He wanted the wealth 
and power and opportunity for his own country. 

Congress decides to send an exploring party into 
the new land. — After he had succeeded in bringing 
about the Louisiana Purchase, there were many 
people who criticized him, because they thought 
that the Far West was a barren waste, not suitable 
for the homes of men, and they thought that the 
Rocky Mountains were impassable. But Jefferson 
still believed that it was a great countrj^ and after 
a while he succeeded in getting Congress to agree 
to send an exploring party up the Missouri River 
and from there to the Pacific Ocean to study the 
manners and characteristics of the native Indians, 
to make arrangements for the establishment of trad- 
ing posts with the tribes, and to thoroughly explore 
the country. 

Lewis and Clark chosen leaders of expedition. — 
Meriwether Lewis was chosen leader of this expedi- 
tion and William Clark his associate. The party, 
when organized, consisted of nine young men from 
Kentucky, fourteen soldiers of the United States 
army, two French watermen, an interpreter and 
hunter, and a black servant belonging to Captain 
Clark. In addition to these were engaged a corporal 



THE FIRST WHITE MEN 9 

and six soldiers, and nine watermen to accompany 
the expedition as far as the Mandan Village, to assist 
in carrying the provisions and to be a protection in 
case of an attack while passing through the Sioux 
country. 

Their first winter is passed in St. Louis. — They 
were obliged to spend the winter of 1803-4 in St. 
Louis, as the Spanish authorities at that village 
would not allow them to pass into the newly ac- 
quired land until the official papers were received, 
notifjang them of the change of ownership. 

The Mandans again. — The following winter they 
spent in the Mandan Village, having arrived there 
in October. This was an important stage of their 
journey. It was here they secured an interpreter for 
the trip. This was Charboneau, a half-breed. It 
was necessary to have some one who could converse 
with all tribes they might meet and explain to them 
the object of the expedition. They must gain the 
good will of the Shoshones, who lived in the neigh- 
borhood of the passes over the mountains, and unless 
there should be some way to communicate with 
them it would be useless for them to attempt the 
journey. Charboneau would not consent to accom- 
pany them unless he could take along his wife, 
Sacajawea. The explorers looked w^ith disfavor upon 
this proposition. They had no desire to be burdened 
with the care of a woman and a young baby on such 
a hard trip. But as Charboneau was firm, they re- 
luctantly allow^ed her to join the party; and it was 
well that they did, for otherwise they could not have 
obtained the favor of the Shoshones. 



10 EARLY EXPLORERS IN MONTANA 

Sacajawea's story. — The story of this brave 
woman, who was herself a Shoshone, is an interest- 
ing and romantic one. She was captured, when a 
small girl, by the Minnetarees, who were deadly 
enemies of her people, and was sold to Charboneau 
as a slave. He fell in love with her and made her 
his wife. No doubt it gave him a great deal of sat- 
isfaction to think of taking her back to her own . 
people and showing them that she was being well 
cared for. 

He knew that she was better able to stand the 
hard trip than many of the men, for it was only a 
continuation of her daily life. Lewis speaks of 
her in his Journals in the highest praise, saying 
that she stood the journey as well as the men 
and far better than Charboneau, who was often 
disabled. 

Over the mountains to the ocean. — In April, 
1805, they started out into the unknown country, 
whence, as far as they kiiew, no white man had ever 
ventured. They had not heard about the journey of 
the Verendryes. As they went up the river in their 
canoes, their escort went down the river in the keel- 
boat, carrying with them the collection of animal 
skins and skeletons, specimens of flowers, and many 
curious things that they had found in their journey 
from St. Louis to the Mandans. 

The route through Montana. — The explorers fol- 
lowed the Missouri up to the headwaters of the 
Jefferson River, which is one of the Three Forks of 
the Missouri. They crossed the mountains over into 
Idaho and passed the site of the present Salmon 



THE FIRST ^ATHITE MEN 11 

City. They purposed going down the Salmon River 
and then down the Columbia, but when they arrived 
at that point they found that that route was too 
rough and devoid of game and berries. The Indians 
told them that it would take seven days to pass the 
bad traveling. An old Indian in the Shoshone village ^ 
knew of a way to get over into the Bitter Root 
Valley from there, and they engaged him as a guide. 
Even that way was hard, for they had to cut a trail 
in places in order to get the pack horses through. 
After they had arrived in the Bitter Root, they still 
had, in order to reach the Columbia River, a range 
to cross, but the Lo Lo trail was not considered 
hard by the Indians. Lewis' journal says, ''Our 
guides traverse this trackless region with a kind of 
instinctive sagacity; they never hesitate, they are 
never embarrassed, and so undeviating is their step, 
that wherever the snow has disappeared for even a 
hundred paces, we find the summer road." This 
was written about the return trip, which was made 
over the same road. 

On their return from the Pacific the party 
divided after they had passed over the Lo Lo trail, 
and Clark went back through the Bitter Root Valley 
and crossed over the pass which divides that valley 
from the Valley of the Big Hole. He then went to 
the Three Forks and went over what was afterwards 
known as the Bozeman Pass into the Valley of the 
Yellowstone. He missed by only a few miles the 
wonders of the Yellowstone Park. Lewis went 
through the Hell Gate Valley and over the Big Black- 
foot Pass to the Dearborn River and thence down to 



12 EARLY EXPLORERS IN MONTANA 

the Missouri, and down that river to the mouth of 
the Yellowstone, where he joined Clark. 

The expedition a success. — The work of explora- 
tion being now accomplished, they proceeded, with 
no further stops, down the river to St. Louis where 
they arrived on the twenty-third of September, 1806. 
The expedition had been entirely successful. They 
had found the Pacific Ocean and they had proved 
that it was possible to cross the Rocky Mountains. 
But it was not for this alone that these men made 
for themselves such an important place in the his- 
tory of North America. It was because they had 
gone under the authority of the government, and 
were able to give complete records of the journey 
through the government publications. Furthermore, 
they had shown the Canadian Fur Companies that 
they intended to protect their frontier; and they 
secured to the United States, by right of exploration, 
the Oregon Territory. 

Fur traders from St. Louis. — The fur traders be- 
gan going up the Missouri River from St. Louis before 
the return of Lewis and Clark. They were French- 
men and it was hard to get ahead of the French fur 
traders in those days. There was not a part of 
Canada that had not been explored pretty thor- 
oughly by this time, and they were only waiting for 
a chance to get into this country. 

John Colter. — When Lewis and Clark were at 
the Mandan Village on their return voyage, they 
met two hunters who were going up the river. They 
asked to have the services of John Colter, who was 
one of the exploring party. As the work of the 



THE FIRST WHITE MEN 13 

explorers was over, they consented to his discharge, 
and he turned back to Montana, going up the Yellow- 
stone River. On their return they met Manuel Lisa, 
a fur trader, coming up the river, and Colter was 
again persuaded to turn back. He proved a useful 
man to Lisa, being sent out from the post as messen- ^ 
ger to different tribes. In these trips he did some 
individual exploration work. In Chittenden's ''His- 
tory of the American Fur Trade" we read that 
''he was the first explorer of the Valley of the Big 
Horn River; the first to cross the passes at the head 
of Wind River and see the headwaters of the Colo- 
rado of the West; the first to see the Teton Moun- 
tains, Jackson Hole, Pierre's Hole, and the sources 
of the Snake River; and most important of all, the 
first to pass through that singular region which has 
since become known throughout the world as the 
Yellowstone Wonderland." During his wanderings he 
had many terrible adventures, and nearly lost his 
life, but he lived to go back to civilization and tell 
of his adventures. People could not imagine such 
places as he had seen, and many thought that he 
was demented from long exposure. "No author or 
map-maker would jeopardize the success of his works 
by incorporating in it such incredible material as 
Colter furnished. His stories were not believed, 
their author became the subject of jest and ridicule, 
and the region of his adventures was long derisively 
known as Colter's Hell." 

The War of 1812. — For several years after the 
first explorers went into Montana, there were no 
expeditions up the river. The reason for this w^as 



14 EARLY EXPLORERS IN MONTANA 

that the minds of the people were occupied with the 
War of 1812. Men, thirsting for adventure, found it 
at home, without venturing into the wilderness. 

2. The Boats they Came in 

Early boats. — The boats used by the early travel- 
ers would look queer to us now, and it was so hard 
to get them up the river that the invention of the 
steamboat was as wonderful to the people then as 
being able to fly in machines is to us now. There 
were four different kinds of boats used by the explor- 
ers and the fur traders: canoes, bull-boats, keel- 
boats, and mackinaws. 

Verendrye's boats. — The Verendryes came in 
canoes, but they were not like the canoes used after- 
ward by the Missouri River Voyagers. These first 
explorers were Canadians. Naturally they brought 
their canoes with them, as they had come all the 
way by boat and portage from Canadian waters. 
They were made of birch-bark which grows in such 
abundance in that country. 

Missouri River canoes. — The canoes made on the 
Upper Missouri River were different. There w^ere few 
birch trees along the river. A substitute was found 
in the Cottonwood logs. These logs they cut into 
lengths of from fifteen to twenty feet and dug out 
the center of each, leaving only the shell. These 
canoes were much better than bark ones for Missouri 
River use, for they were strong enough to stand the 
wear of rocks and snags. 

The canoes were much used, not only by the indi- 
vidual traders who brought their stock with them. 



THE BOATS THEY CAME IN 15 

but later by the fur companies. The principal use 
by the fur companies was in transporting goods from 
post to post, and for sending important messengers 
down the river to headquarters, and ''there are 
several records of their having been used to trans- 
port freight — such as bears' oil, which was exten-' 
sively used in St. Louis as a substitute for lard in 
the days when swine were scarce and black bears 
plentiful — Honey was also transported in this way," 
which had been taken from bee trees in the Missouri 
Bottoms. 

Lewis and Clark canoes. — The canoes were some- 
times bound together, two of them, side by side, and 
floored over. These they called periogues. There 
were two of these in the fleet that Lewis and Clark 
started out in from St. Louis, and they took them as 
far as the Marias River. Here one was anchored 
until their return. The other one they took on to 
the foot of the Great Falls, and left at anchor. 
At Mandan Village they made six new canoes, 
single ones. These they traveled in to the head of 
the Jefferson River. They portaged them and their 
baggage around the Falls, bj^ taking the mast of their 
second periogue and sawing it in pieces for wheels for 
wagons. These rude wagons they pushed and pulled 
over the eighteen mile portage. 

When they came to the place where canoes were 
no more possible for transportation, they filled them 
with stones and sunk them to the bottom of the 
stream, so they would be there when needed again. 

The canoes were used by Clark and his men in 
going down the Jefferson River and were taken down 



16 EARLY EXPLORERS IN MONTANA 

to the Lewis party after Clark had gone on to the 
Yellowstone, and Lewis and his men took also the 
perioques which were in anchor at the Great Falls 
and the Marias River. 

Bull-boats. — The other small boats mentioned in 
the journals were called bull-boats because they 
were made of the skins of the buffalo bulls. The 
skins of the covv^s were not as strong nor as able to 



The Flatheads in Bull- Boats 

stand the rubbing against the rocks. The frame- 
work of the boats was about thirty feet long and 
twelve wide, and was made of willow poles firmly 
lashed together with raw hide. No nails w^ere used. 
The pieces of skins for the covers were sewed together 
with buffalo sinews, the hides dried and shrunk, and 
the seams were pitched with buffalo tallow and ashes. 
A loaded bull-boat could be handled by two men. At 
night when the landing was made the boat was un- 
loaded, then turned over to dry. In this position it 



THE BOATS THEY CAME IN 17 

served as a shelter for both cargo and crew. In the 
morning the seams were repitched and any rents 
carefully patched. The boat was then launched and 
reloaded and the voyage resumed. 

Keel-boats. — Besides the two periogues Lewis and 
Clark had a keel-boat which was the largest of their ' 
three boats, and w^ere like those used afterwards by 
the fur companies to freight their goods up the 
river. They were called keel-boats because they 
were the only boats on the river that had keels. 
They were large, sometimes sixty or seventy feet 
long. They were pulled up the river by a rope called 
a cordelle. It took from twenty to forty men to 
pull a keel-boat, while they walked along the bank. 
When they came to a place where the men could 
not walk they pushed the boats along by poles. 
Sometimes they used sails, if the wind was right, 
and again they rowed their boats. 

As Chittenden says in the book he has written 
about the fur trade, ''Thus by one means or another, 
and now and then by all together, the early keel-boat 
worked and worried its way up the turbulent current 
of the Missouri — whatever the method of propulsion, 
however, the task was always extremely laborious." 

Mackinaw boats. — The mackinaws were used by 
the fur traders to carry goods down stream. They 
were built at the Upper River ports and were floated 
down. They were not taken back up stream, as it 
was easier and cheaper to build a new boat than to 
take one up the river. 

They were made entirely of timber. The building 
places for these boats were called ''chantiers" which 



18 EARLY EXPLORERS IN MONTANA 

was French for navy-yard. There was a ehantier 
for every post, and it was built as near to the post 
as they could find a wooded spot. The Fort Union 
ehantier was twenty-five miles above its post, while 
that of Fort Benton was three miles below. 

The mackinaw boats were large, sometimes as 
long as fifty feet. The cargo of furs was piled in 
the center of the boat, covered over with large 
skins, which were fastened down with cleats to the 
sides of the boat, in order to keep the furs as dry as 
possible. In front of the cargo were the seats for 
the oarsmen, while the steersman sat in the stern 
on an elevated perch from which he could look over 
the cargo and study the river ahead. 

Voyageurs. — The men who did the work of man- 
aging the boats on the river were called ''voyageurs" 
and were usually Frenchmen. The voyageur "was a 
very important figure in the early fur trade. He 
was always singing at his work, laughing and jok- 
ing with his companions, and cheerful and happy in 
his manner. His willingness to toil, complacent en- 
durance of the most prodigious labors and his long 
acquiescence in the scanty provision for food and 
shelter made him the cheerful slave of the fur trade." 

3. The People they Met 

The Mandans. — The Verendryes met some hos- 
tile tribes in their long journey from Montreal to 
the Missouri River, but they found friends when 
they came to the valley of the Mandans. These 
Mandans were in many ways unlike Indians, the 
principal one being their fair complexions. By 



THE PEOPLE THEY MET 19 

some of the early travelers they were called white 
Indians, and they were so friendly with all the 
white travelers that many people really thought 
that in some way they were a mixture of the white 
race w^ith the Indians. 

Lewis and Clark and the Mandans. — When 
Lewis and Clark were nearing what is now Montana 
they also came to the Village of the Mandans. There 
they spent the winter hearing the Indians tell of 
tribes who lived nearer the mountains, and learning 
the directions of rivers and landmarks by which 
they were to be guided. They also met Indians 
from other tribes who came down to the Mandan 
Village to trade w^ith men from the British Posts. 

No Montana Indians encountered on the Mis- 
souri. — After Lewis and Clark left the Mandans they 
saw no Indians until they came to the Shoshone Village 
above the Three Forks of the Missouri. Here and 
there they found deserted campfires which they knew 
must have been the camping places of the Gros 
Ventres or Minnetarees and they were glad to miss 
meeting these Indians because they were not a 
friendly tribe. 

Looking for the Shoshones. — As they went along 
through that great empty land they began to be 
afraid that they would miss the Shoshone Indians 
as well and if that should happen they would have 
to turn back as Verendrye had done, for it was im- 
possible for any one to cross the mountains at that 
day without the help of the Shoshones. But one thing 
saved them from this fate, and this was the presence 
of Sacajawea, the wife of the interpreter. She knew 



20 EARLY EXPLORERS IN MONTANA 

where her people hid from their enemy, the Black- 
feet, and she knew where they made their camps 
when on the way to the buffalo hunt, and she led 
the explorers unfalteringly to their village. 

Surprise to the Shoshones. — The white men were 
a great curiosity to the Shoshones. Lewis' journals 
tell us that ''They [the Shoshones] had indeed, 
abundant sources of surprise in all they saw — the 
appearance of the men, their arms, their clothing, 
the canoes, the strange looks of the negro and the 
sagacity of our dog, all in turn shared their admira- 
tion, which was raised to astonishment by a shot 
from the air-gun. This operation was instantly con- 
sidered, 'great medicine,' by which they, as well as 
the other Indians, mean something emanating directly 
from the Great Spirit, or produced by his invisible 
and incomprehensive agency." 

The Flatheads. — At the head of the Bitter Root 
Valley they met the Flatheads, and had a pleasant 
conference with them. The Flatheads were then on 
their way over into the Jefferson Valley and the 
buffalo country. They told the explorers about the 
pass from the Bitter Root over into the Jefferson 
Valley, and this was the pass that Clark used on 
the way home. 

Over into Idaho. — After leaving the Bitter Root 
Valley, Lewis and Clark went into what is now 
Idaho, among the Nez Perces who spent much of 
their time with the Flatheads on their hunts. Here 
they found a chief, Twisted Hair, who made for 
them a map of the country into which they were 
to go. This chief took care of their horses until their 



THE PEOPLE THEY MET 21 

return, for here they built canoes and made the rest 
of their way to the Pacific by river. 

The Blackfeet. — On their return trip they were 
not so fortunate as to escape the Blackfeet. One 
of their bands was camping near the Great Falls. 
The Indians planned to steal the explorers' horses 
and guns. They were discovered in time, but un- 
fortunately two of the Indians were killed in the 
encounter. Lewis and his companions escaped un- 
harmed, but the Blackfeet never forgave the white 
men, and, in after years, many an innocent man 
met his death at the hands of these vengeful 
Indians. 

No Indians met on the Yellowstone. — Clark saw 
no Indians in his descent of the Y^ellowstone and the 
others saw no more until they reached the Mandans 
again. 

The tribal homes. — When the fur traders came 
into the Tapper River Country to trap and trade, 
they learned to know the homes and haunts of all 
the tribes. They knew that the Assiniboines were 
to be found in the Missouri Valley from below the 
mouth of the Y^ellowstone to the mouth of the Milk 
River; the Blackfeet proper were in the Milk River 
Valley; and the Gros Ventres of the Prairie, the 
most hostile of the Blackfeet tribes, were in the 
Judith and Musselshell Valleys. On the western 
streams of the Missouri above the Marias River 
were the Piegans, another tribe of the Blackfeet, 
whose favorite valley was that of the Sun River; 
while the Bloods, also a hostile tribe of the Black- 
feet, were usuallv to be found at the foot of the 



22 EARLY EXPLORERS IN MONTANA 

Rockies, at the head of the valleys of the Milk 
and Marias. On the western side of the mountains 
was the home of the Flatheads, and of their allied 
tribes, the Pend d'Oreilles or the Kalispells and the 
Kootenais. The Flatheads lived in the Bitter Root 
Valley, while the others were in the Flathead Valley 
near the lake of the same name. On the headwaters 
of the Three Forks of the Missouri were often to be 
found villages of the Shoshones and Bannacks, whose 
real homes were in the Snake River Countr}^; and 
in that fearsome part of the country where stronger 
tribes were afraid to go, now known as the Yellow- 
stone National Park, was the small band of the 
Sheepeaters, who, like the game of the present day, 
found there a safe refuge out of the reach of their 
enemies. All along the Valley of the Yellowstone 
were the Crows, but the part of it that they loved 
best was up along the stream called the Big Horn. 
They called this Absaraka, and considered it their 
real home. 

4. The Scenery they Saw 

Verendrye and the mountains. — Lewis and Clark 
were the first to cross the Rocky Mountains, but 
the sons of Verendrye were the first to see them. 
Historians do not know just what part of the moun- 
tains the Verendryes saw, but it is thought from the 
direction they took — according to what their jour- 
nals tell us, and the distance they traveled in each 
day — that it was the Big Horn Mountains or prob- 
ably the Wind River Mountains that they saw on 
that New Year's Day in 1743. We can imagine how 



THE SCENERY THEY SAW 23 

they longed to climb those peaks, thinking that if 
they could only reach the summits, they could look 
over into that unknown land and perhaps see the 
ocean itself. But we know that they were far from 
the long dreamed of land, that from those summits 
only more mountains were to be seen, and no different 
view could be had for two or three hundred miles, 
and the ocean itself was more than eight hundred 
miles away. 

Lewis and Clark and the mountains. — It was on 
May 26, 1805, that Lewis and Clark first saw the 
Rockies. This was at Cow Creek, not far from the 
Judith River. In his journals Lewis spoke of them 
as "the Rock Mountains — the object of all our 
hopes, and the reward of all our ambition." 

The Stone Walls. — They saw much fine scenery 
before they came actually to the mountains. There 
was one place thej^ called The Stone Walls where 
the cliffs rose from two hundred to three hundred 
feet high, and where they looked in places like 
spires and turrets and columns, and in other places 
like walls laid with immense black rocks in regular 
rows. 

The Great Falls of the Missouri. — The Minne- 
tarees, the friends of the Mandans, had told Lewis 
and Clark about the Great Falls of the Missouri, 
so they were not surprised when one daj^- their ''ears 
were saluted with the agreeable sound of a fall of 
water." They had traveled seven miles after first 
hearing the sound, and at last seated themselves 
on some rocks under the center of one of the falls 
and enjoyed the sublime spectacle. 



24 EARLY EXPLORERS IN MONTANA 

This fall was only one of several cascades and falls 
extending for a distance of ten miles or more. Every- 
thing was as the Indians had told them — even the 
Eagle's Nest was seen on an island just below the 
Upper Falls. ''Here on a cotton wood tree an eagle 
had fixed her nest, and seemed the undisputed mis- 
tress of a spot, to contest whose domain neither 
man nor beast would venture across the gulfs that 
surrounded it, and which is further secured by a 
mist rising from the falls. This solitary bird could 
not escape the observation of the Indians, who 
made the eagle's nest a part of their description of 
the falls." 

In full view of the mountains. — After leaving the 
Falls the explorers were constantly in full view of 
the Rocky Mountains, which were not then known by 
that name. Lewis in his journals says, ''They glisten 
with great beauty when the sun shines on them in a 
particular direction, and most probably from this 
glistening appearance have derived the name of the 
Shining Mountains." 

The Gate of the Mountains. — After several days 
the explorers approached a wonderful pass in the 
mountains, where the rocks came down to the river 
on both sides. For five and three-quarters miles 
the rocks rose perpendicularly from the water's edge 
to the height of nearly twelve hundred feet. The 
journal says, "Nothing can be imagined more tre- 
mendous than the frowning darkness of the rocks, 
which project over the river and menace us with 
destruction. During the whole distance the water 
is very deep even at the edges, and for the first 



THE SCENERY THEY SAW 25 

three miles there is not a spot, except one of a few 
yards, in which a man can stand between the water 
and the towering perpendicular of the mountains. 
We were obliged to go on sometime after dark, 
not being able to find a spot large enough to camp 
on; but at length, about two miles above a small 
island in the middle of the river, we met with a 
place on the left side where we procured plenty of 
light wood and pitch pine. This extraordinary range 
of rocks we called 'the Gate of the Rocky Moun- 
tains.'" 

The Three Forks of the Missouri. — In the last 
of July of 1805, the explorers reached the sources 
of the Missouri. They named the Three Forks for 
Thomas Jefferson who was then President of the 
United States, and two members of his cabinet, 
Albert Gallatin and James Madison. The one named 
for Jefferson w^as really a continuation of the river; 
the others were large branches, but all were so nearly 
of a size that they took them for three forks. 

This had been a spot of historical interest for a 
good many years, and w^as for many years after. All 
the Indian trails in the countrj^ seemed to cross at 
this point, as the easiest pass into the Yellowstone 
Valley: the buffalo countrJ^ The Blackfeet claimed 
the country around the Three Forks but no tribe 
dwelt there permanently. 

On the summit of the mountains. — When the ex- 
plorers finally stood upon the summit of the mountains 
they rejoiced that "they had now reached the hidden 
sources of that river, which had never yet been seen 
by civilized man. As they quenched their thirst at 



26 EARLY EXPLORERS IN MONTANA 

the chaste and icy fountain — as they sat down by 
the brink of that httle riverlet, which yielded its 
distant and modest tribute to the parent ocean — 
they felt themselves rewarded for all their labors and 
all their difficulties." 

5. The Animals they Hunted 

Game. — Travelers on the eastern slope of the 
Rocky Mountains never wanted for game. Buffa- 
loes, bears, deer, elks, antelopes, and beavers were 
their chief objects of food. Fowls of all kinds and 
fish, too, were to be had in plentiful quantities. 

Bears. — Bears were the hardest of all the game 
to kill, because unless they were shot squarely through 
the brain or heart, they w^ere not killed, and when 
wounded would turn upon the hunter and fight furi- 
ously. The journal of Lewis says: ''The wonderful 
power of life which these animals possess renders 
them dreadful; their very track in the mud or sand, 
which we have sometimes found eleven inches long 
and seven and a fourth inches wide, exclusive of the 
talons, is alarming; and we had rather encounter 
two Indians than meet a single browm bear. Of the 
strength and ferocity of the grizzly bear the Indians 
had given us dreadful accounts. They never attack 
him but in parties of six or eight persons, and even 
then are often defeated with a loss of one or more of 
their party. Having no weapons but bows and arrows, 
and the bad guns with which the traders supply 
them, they are obliged to approach very near to the 
bear, and they frequently fall a sacrifice if they miss 
their aim. To a skilled rifleman the danger is very 



THE ANIMALS THEY HUNTED 



27 



much diminished yet the white (grizzly) bear is still 
a terrible animal." 

Antelopes. — Of the antelopes the journal says: 
"These fleet and quick sighted animals are generally 
the victims of their curiosity. When they first see 
the hunter they run with great velocity; if he lies 
down on the ground, and lifts up his hat, his arm or 




Permission of N. A. Forsyth, Butte 

The Buffaloes Roamed in Great Herds 

Small wonder that they had all the buffalo meat 
they wanted 

his foot, they return with a light trot to look at 
the object, and sometimes go and return two or 
three times, till they approach within reach of the 
rifle. So, too, they sometimes leave their flocks to 
go and look at the wolves, which crouch down, and, 
if the antelope is frightened at first, repeat the 



28 EARLY EXPLORERS IN MONTANA 

same manoeuver and sometimes relieve each other, till 
they decoy it from the party, when they seize it." 

Buffaloes. — • The explorers found the buffaloes so 
gentle that they were obliged to drive them out of 
the way with sticks and stones. Small wonder that 
they had all the buffalo meat they wanted! The 
buffaloes roamed in great herds over the country 
between the Missouri and the Yellowstone. More 
than once when Clark was returning down the Yellow- 
stone, his party was delayed by herds of buffaloes 
crossing the river before them. These herds some- 
times were in columns a mile wide, and would be as 
long as an hour crossing the river. How can we but 
w^onder that these are all gone now.^ Historj^ tells 
us that they were slaughtered by the Indians and 
the trappers for the American Fur Company. The 
small numbers that were left were hunted down by 
the settlers until now there are only a few in zoologi- 
cal gardens and national parks. 

Beavers. — The beavers were usually killed for 
their skins but the early travelers used them for 
food as well. They were considered a great delicacy, 
particularly the tails, which, when boiled, were like 
fresh tongue. One tail was large enough for a plen- 
tiful meal for two men. 

6. The Posts they Built 

Fort Lisa. — The first trading posts were built by 
Manuel Lisa, the Spaniard who had come up to St. 
Louis from New Orleans and became a rival to the 
Chouteaus. He went up to the mouth of the Yellow- 
stone, and then up that river to the Big Horn River 



THE POSTS THEY BUILT 29 

in the heart of the country of the Crow Indians, and 
built Fort Lisa, — the first building in what is now 
known as Montana. He was not as successful in 
choosing a location as he might have been, for the 
Blackfeet had the best beaver grounds and the Crows 
were enemies of the Blackfeet — but in spite of 
these facts, "Lisa came down the river with his 
boats piled, heaped and laden to the gunwale edge 
with furs out of the Yellowstone." 

At the Three Forks. — Noting the advantage it 
would be to trade with the Blackfeet, Lisa and his 
partners moved over to the Three Forks the next 
season, expecting to do an immense trade there, for 
being a spot which nearly all tribes passed at some 
time during the hunting season, it would seem the 
most advantageous point for a trading post. But 
they had reckoned without the Blackfeet. Lisa could 
well boast of his friendship with all the other tribes, 
but no one could count the Blackfeet as friends. 
They were foes to every one — Indian or white -^ 
especially any one who dared to set up an establish- 
ment in their country. 

It was Lisa's part of the work to take the furs to 
St. Louis and bring up the fresh supplies. Andrew 
Henry, his partner, commanded the fort, and did 
the trading and was overseer of the trappers. 

Soon after the post was opened the Indians be- 
came so hostile that it was unsafe for the men to go 
outside the fort to hunt, and they were quickly being 
driven to a state of starvation. They were soon forced 
to move over to the other side of the main range, 
into the territorv of the Snake or Shoshone Indians. 



30 EARLY EXPLORERS IN MONTANA 

The post near Henry's Lake. — The post which 
they built over the range was the first American 
estabhshment to be built on any of the waters of 
the Columbia River. It was near the boundary line 
between Montana and Idaho. Henry's Fork of the 
Snake River, and Henry's Lake were named for 
the commander, Andrew Henry. 

Although more secure at the new location, the 
fur traders felt fearful for their safety and at the 
end of the season all were glad to turn towards 
home. At the Mandan Village they met Lisa, who 
was coming back up the river in search of them, as 
he had become alarmed at hearing no news from 
them. 

7. The Journals they Wrote 

Sources. — What we call the sources of history 
are the journals and accounts written at the time of 
historical events. For a good many years the story 
of the early exploration of the West and the fur 
t^'ade was entirely unknown to the public, because 
the journals had not been put into readable shape. 
Of late years historians have hunted up these old 
records and edited and reprinted them so that if 
one has access to a fair sized library one can learn 
enough of the events of those days to form a con- 
nected story. 

Verendrye's journal. — Some of the journals are 
so brief, that we sometimes must lament that so 
little was told us. Such for instance were Veren- 
drye's journals. As Francis Parkman says: 'Tf the 
travelers had been less sparing of words, they would 



THE JOURNALS THEY WROTE 31 

doubtless have told us that as they entered the 
village square the flattened earthen domes that 
surrounded it were thronged with squaws and chil- 
dren," and many other little incidents, too, that 
would have straightened out several puzzling questions 
for us. 

This journal was of course written in French, but 
it has now been translated into English. Because 
the names they gave to the tribes they met are dif- 
ferent from those by which these tribes were known 
later, the journal is not as valuable as otherwise it 
might have been. 

The Lewis and Clark Journals. — When Lewis 
and Clark were gathering together the provisions 
and supplies for their long journey into the wilder- 
ness they did not forget ink-horns and quills and 
blank books, so they might write down all their 
adventures. Lewis encouraged every one to keep a 
journal, and around the twilight fires the men wrote 
every night. Lewis, Clark, Ordway, Gass, Eraser, 
all busy "with their stub quill pens and ink-horns, 
recording the day's adventure. They were not schol- 
ars, any of them, but men of action, pioneers and 
explorers, heralds of the nation." 

Gass' journal. — Patrick Gass had a goodly share 
of Irish wit, and as his schooling was limited there 
must have been a good deal of fun over his efforts. 
Eva Emery Dye in her account of the Lewis and 
Clark expedition makes him say, ''I niver wint to 
school but nineteen days in me boyhood, and that 
was whin I was a man," — and she says of him: 
"but what Pat lacked in books he made up in ob- 



32 EARLY EXPLORERS IN MONTANA 

servation and shrewd reasoning; hence it fell out 
that Patrick Gass' journal was the first published 
account of the Lewis and Clark expedition, — with 
the help of a Scotch schoolmaster Patrick published 
his book the next year, immortalizing the name of 
the gallant Irish Sergeant. He lived to become a 
great student in his old age, and an authority on 
Indians and early times." 

Lewis' journal. — The oflScial journal of the ex- 
pedition was written by Meriwether Lewis. This 
would naturally be so because he w^as the leader of 
the expedition, and also had been President Jeffer- 
son's private secretary. He had orders to write 
down whatever would be of interest to people who 
might want to trade with the Indians, and make 
such observations of the mountains and rivers as 
would be needed by the War Department in making 
maps of the country. 

After the return of the expedition Lewis was occu- 
pied during his leisure time with preparing his journal 
for publication, but he died before it was completed. 

There are now several good editions which include 
the journals of both Lewis and Clark, and give be- 
sides excellent notes taken from the observation of 
later travelers, and from the journals of others who 
wrote at the same period of time. 

Bradbury and Brackinridge. — Two early travelers 
who did not reach the Upper River Country have 
written valuable records. As they were connected 
with Lisa in some of his journeys their works would 
be interesting to students of Montana History. Chit- 
tenden says in his "History of the American Fur 



THE JOURNALS THEY WROTE 33 

Trade": "Bradbury's well-known book 'Travels In 
North America' is one of the most useful works of 
this period, and one which the careful student of 
Louisiana History never fails to consult. It is the 
best existing authority on many points, and in some 
the only one. Irving drew largely upon it in his 
narrative of 'Hunts' Voyage up the Missouri.' . . . 
Henry M. Brackinridge ascended the Missouri with 
Lisa in 1811. . . . He was a young man of good 
education, very observing, and a promising young 
writer. His Vieiv of Louisiana, and his journal of 
his voyage up the Missouri, like Bradbury's Travels, 
are among our most reliable early authorities." 

Account of Lisa's first expedition into Montana. — 
In Chittenden's work we read that, ''The data for 
the history of this expedition is less complete than 
could be wished. The Louisiana Gazette, the first 
newspaper of St. Louis, and now one of our best 
authorities upon those early times, was not estab- 
lished until 1808. There are no letters or documents 
extant bearing upon this enterprise. Our main au- 
thorities are Brackinridge, who received an account 
of the expedition direct from Lisa, and Thomas 
Biddle, who wrote from personal knowledge of the 
work of the fur traders in the early years of the 
country." 

New editions of the old journals. — One of our 
pre3ent day historians, Reuben Gold Thwaites, has 
made a collection of the old journals, and edited 
them with notes. This is a most useful work be- 
cause it brings the sources within the reach of all 
readers. Hiram M, Chittenden's ''Historv of the 



34 



EARLY EXPLORERS IX MOXTAXA 



American Fur Trade of the Far AYest" is another 
work of equal usefulness. He has taken the old 
journals and formed them all into one connected 
story, which gives us a picture of those times taken 
directly from the sources. 




Pexd d' Oreille Ixdlin Vill-\ge 



PART II 
THE INDIANS 

1. Before the White Men Came 

First occupants of the Upper Missouri. — We have 
no way to estimate how long the Indians had been 
Hving in Montana before the white men came. They 
have no written history, but as far back as their 
Indian stories go, the Flatheads and Shoshones had 
lived in the Valleys of the Missouri River and its 
large streams. Thej^ were happy and contented. 
There were plenty of buffaloes, and these were so 
tame that they could be easily killed with the simple 
means that the Indians had in that day. From the 
buffalo they procured the skins for their lodges, for 
their robes, and for the making of their skin boats. 
The buffalo robes were cold proof, and with those 
over their lodges and wTapped about their bodies, or 
covering them, the Indians could bid defiance to the 
cold blasts of winter. On the flesh and the marrow 
of the bones they lived; what they could not eat in 
the fresh state they dried. Some tribes ground the 
meat to a powder and mixed it with fat and choke 
cherries, calling it pemmican. In addition to the buf- 
falo they had wild fowl and berries and fish to eat, 
besides all kinds of game. All the summer was spent 
in procuring comforts for the winter. When the 



36 



THE INDIANS 



winter storms came on tliey found some sheltered 
valley up in the mountains, where they were pro- 
tected from the cold winds, and where they lived 
on the food that they had dried in the summer. 

The first horses. — At one time some Spanish 
traders came up from the Southwest. They brought 



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Relics of Indian Days 

horses to the Indians, and what a difference those 
horses made in their lives! Before this time all 
journeys had been made on foot. Dogs had been 
their only beast of burden, and the Indians them- 
selves always had to carry large packs on their backs. 
Even the children had to carry a share of the bur- 
dens, — but as soon as they had horses, they had 
found a beast of burden that would carrv not onlv 



BEFORE THE WHITE MEN CAME 37 

their packs, but themselves, and now they could 
go long distances into vallej^s that before had been 
inaccessible. 

The coming of the Blackfeet. — Later on another 
event happened to these first inhabitants. A tribe 
of Indians came down from the north and drove 
them back into the sheltered valleys. These new In- 
dians had a number of guns that they had procured 
from the Canadian fur-trading posts. It was useless 
to attempt to resist these invaders, for the guns were 
like magic arrows, and could make a deadly wound 
from a long distance. 

The new Indians had no horses, they had walked 
a long way from the country between the Peace and 
Saskatchewan Rivers in Canada. They had had 
strong enemies there who had driven them out of 
their homes, and they had come this long distance 
over burnt-over prairies and rough country. Their 
moccasins vrere travel-stained and black. The Flat- 
heads and Shoshones called them the Blackfeet, 
and the name has clung to them. 

Driven beyond the mountains. — With their guns 
the Blackfeet soon took from the Shoshones horses 
enough for themselves, and with guns and horses 
they had no fear of any tribe. The Flatheads and 
Shoshones saw that it was no use to resist. The 
Blackfeet had come to stay, and the Flatheads fled 
over the mountains into the Flathead and Bitter 
Root Valleys, while the Shoshones went up to the 
head- waters of the Missouri and over into Idaho. 

Hostility Begins. — Once or twice a year they 
stole over into their old countrv to hunt buffalo. 



38 



THE INDIANS 



Sometimes they were fortunate enough not to meet 
their enemies; at other times they would come upon 
parties of them and then there would be a battle. 
In this way they came to be thinking about war a 




Permission of N. A. Forsyth, Butte 

The Indian's Wagon 

great deal of the time, and the men spent their best 
efforts in making good warriors of themselves. The 
Blackfeet liked nothing better than a battle with the 
Shoshones because it always made more horses for 
them, and made them more powerful. 

The Crows. — The Crows, who lived in the 
Yellowstone Valley, also feared the Blackfeet. One 



BEFORE THE WHITE MEN CAME 39 

tribe of the Blackfeet they especially hated was 
the Gros Ventres. The reason for this probably was 
because they were such near neighbors to the Crows. 
Their home was in the Valleys of the Judith and 
Musselshell. The Crows finally moved up into the 
streams of the Yellowstone, spending most of their, 
time in the Big Horn Valley. 

The Sioux. — The Blackfeet were not the only 
enemies of the Crows. There was another strong 
nation lower down on the Missouri River: the Sioux. 
They too liked to come into the Yellowstone Valley 
to hunt buffalo and other game. The Crows had a 
hard time between the Blackfeet and the Sioux. 
They had to resort to all sorts of clever devices and 
after a time they learned how to steal horses away 
from the Blackfeet and other Indians, until they too 
were as well equipped as any. 

Yearly hunts for buffalo. — After a few years the 
tribes again led a settled life. They still went about 
from one place to another, but they were not often 
far from their home valleys. One long expedition 
they took every year. That was into the Yellowstone 
for buffalo. This valley was a long one and was full 
of buffalo, so there was plenty of room and game for 
all the tribes. When a tribe went out on the hunt, 
practically the whole village went along. The braves 
all had to go to hunt and to protect the expedition, 
the women had to go to prepare the meat and skins, 
of course they had to take the youngest children, and 
that left only the old men and women, and the children 
who were old enough to be left behind. Sometimes 
a village would go and return without meeting any 



40 



THE INDIANS 



other Indians, but oftener they would meet two or 
three different parties. If they should meet a party 
which was going along peacefully as they were, 
bound only for the hunt, then there would be no 
trouble; but if they should meet a horse-stealing 
party, then they would have to watch very care- 




The Buffaloes were T.i^ie 

fully to see that the strangers did not have a chance 
to run off with their horses; and if they chanced 
to meet a war party then there was apt to be very 
serious trouble. 

The Indians had the reputation for being very 
fond of war. They undoubtedly were, especially 
when they were out on the war-path and well pre- 
pared for battle; but to the village it was a great 
dread. It meant the destruction of their homes, 



WHAT THE EXPLORERS LEARNED 41 

the murder or capture of the women and children, 
and the death or torture of the braves. Villages 
were sometimes entirely destroyed; those not killed 
were carried into captivity, there to be either tor- 
tured or made slaves. Still they were fearless and 
never hesitated to pursue an enemy to avenge the 
death of members of their villages, or to secure for 
themselves stores of which they were in need and of 
w^hich the enemy had a plentiful supply. 

2. What the Explorers Learned about 
THE Indians 
At the Mandan Village. — When Lewis and Clark 
were at the Mandan Village they learned all they 
could about the country which they were to explore. 
There w^as a chief there who drew a map of the 
Upper Missouri on a robe with a piece of coal. Others 
told them about the band of Blackfeet who were 
sometimes called the Minnetarees of the Prairies, and 
sometimes the Gros Ventres. (It is a puzzling matter 
not to confuse these names because the Indians who 
were near neighbors of the Mandans were also called 
Minnetarees and Gros Ventres, but these were known 
as the Minnetarees of the Missouri.) All the Indians 
told them about the hostility of this tribe of the 
Blackfeet, but the Assiniboines who lived north of the 
Missouri and east of the Blackfeet, being neighbors, 
had more reason to fear them. The Indians at 
the Mandan Village agreed that they must find the 
Shoshones to guide them over the mountains. Other 
tribes knew the passes over the mountains, but 
the Shoshones were the only ones who had horses 



42 THE INDIANS 

in such abundance that they could have them for 
exchange. 

Shoshones and Minnetarees enemies. — The ex- 
plorers heard stories of the enmity between the Sho- 
shones and the Minnetarees of the Missouri. The 
student may wonder how such widely separated 
tribes could come in contact with each other often. 
It may be that their troubles existed before the Sho- 
shones were driven beyond the mountains. 

We can at least be sure that these were the two 
tribes, because Lewis and Clark found Sacajawea 
there in the Minnetaree Village where she had been 
taken a captive from the Shoshone Village, and she 
herself told them of her capture at the Three Forks 
of the Missouri. 

Sacajawea at the Three Forks. — Sacajawea had 
been a little girl when she was captured by the 
Minnetarees, but she could remember all about it. 
Furthermore, she remembered how her people had 
often been at the Three Forks of the Missouri, and 
when she reached that point with the explorers, she 
pointed up the Jefferson and said that was the way 
over the mountains; she pointed up the Gallatin 
and said that was the road all the Indians took 
when they went over into the buffalo country: the 
Yellowstone Valley; and up the Madison she pointed, 
saying that that was a valley where her people often 
were in camp. She told them that this spot was a 
natural cross roads, that all the tribes of the west 
passed this point on the way to the buffalo hunt. 

With the Shoshones. — When the explorers came 
to the village of the Shoshones, they saw how cowed 



WHAT THE EXPLORERS LEARNED 43 

the Indians really were. They showed such signs of 
fright that the explorers were at a loss to know how 
to reassure them. Nothing could convince them that 
possibly the strangers w^ere not some messengers from 
their old enemies, the Minnetarees, until they saw 
Sacajawea. The fact that she was a respected mem- 
ber of their party was the only thing that gave them 
courage to accept the friendship of the w^hites. 

In his journal, Lewis says of the Shoshones: 
''Within their own recollection they formerly lived 
in the plains, but they have been driven into the 
mountains by the Pahkees, or the roving Indians of 
the Saskatchew^an, and are obliged to visit occasion- 
ally, and by stealth, the country of their ancestors. 
Their lives, indeed, are migratory. From the middle 
of May to the beginning of September they reside 
on the headwaters of the Columbia, where they con- 
sider themselves perfectly secure from the Pahkees, 
who have never yet found their way to that retreat. 
During this time they subsist chiefly on salmon, and, 
as that fish disappears on the approach of autumn, 
they are driven to seek subsistence elsewhere. They 
then cross the ridge to the waters of the Missouri, 
down which they proceed slowly and cautiously, till 
they are joined near the Three Forks by other bands, 
either of their own nation or of the Flatheads, with 
whom they associate against the common enemy. 
Being now strong in numbers, they venture to hunt 
the buffalo in the plains eastward of the mountains 
near which they spend the winter, till the return of 
the salmon invites them to the Columbia. But such 
is their terror of the Pahkees, that, so long as they 



44 



THE INDIANS 



can obtain the scantiest subsistence, they do not leave 
the interior of the mountains; and, as soon as they 
have collected a large stock of dried meat, they again 
retreat, thus alternately obtaining their food at the 
hazard of their lives, and hiding themselves to con- 




Copyright — L. A. Huffman, Miles City 

Lodges Made of Buffalo Skins 

sume it/' The Pahkees are supposed to be the 
Blackfeet. 

The friendly Flatheads. — When the explorers had 
arrived in the Bitter Root Valley they met a band of 
Indians, whom we suppose to be Flatheads. The ex- 
plorers called them the Ootlashoots. The journal 
says: "They seemed kind and friendly, and willingly 
shared with us berries and roots, which formed their 



FUR TRADERS AMONG THE INDIANS 45 

sole stock of provisions. Their only wealth is their 
horses, which are very fine, and so numerous that 
this party had with them at least five hundred. These 
Indians were on their way to join the other bands 
who were hunting buffalo on the Jefferson River, 
across the Great Divide." 

The hostile Blackf eet. — Lewis and Clark would 
have preferred to have found the Missouri as lonely 
going down as it had been on their journey up, but they 
were not so fortunate. Lewis' party came upon a party 
of eight Blackfeet. These were supposed at that time 
to be Gros Ventres but George Bird Grinnell, in his 
"Trail of the Pathfinders," says that the Piegans tell 
of the adventure as having occurred to members of 
their band. Of their safe escape from this band we 
have already read, and the explorers were glad to 
see no more Indians on the Upper Missouri. 

3. The Fur Traders among the Indians 

The first fur trading. — Before posts were built in 
the Indian country, the fur traders came up the 
river and traded from their boats and returned home 
when their goods were exhausted. We can imagine 
with what .interest and curiosity the Indians regarded 
the goods of the white men! At first the boats were 
small and the traders had only a few things such as 
looking-glasses, knives, needles, hatchets. Just think 
what a strong steel needle would mean to an Indian 
woman! And a sharp knife to a man! Or a looking- 
glass to a young brave who delighted in decking 
himself in articles of Indian beauty! We can im- 
agine, then, with what delight the boat of a trader 



46 THE INDLWS 

was sighted. How, before he had drawn his boat up 
to the bank, the whole village would be crowding 
around ready to have the first chance at a trade. 
The Indians did not realize how valuable their furs 
were — or perhaps — they better realized how great 
a convenience the needles and knives were, for they 
would give away a beaver skin for something of no 
value at all; but we ourselves give fabulous sums 
for cheap but necessary things when we are out in 
the wilderness. We have heard of the time when 
flour was a dollar a pound right here in Montana; 
and if we had quantities of beaver skins now and no 
flour, would we not be willing to give two or three 
skins for one sack of flour .^ So it was with the In- 
dians; and it was not such an injustice for the traders 
to take many skins for their goods, because they had 
to work hard to get their boats up the river, and 
they had to go through many dangers in order to 
reach the Indian country. 

The Assiniboines. — Fort Union, the first perma- 
nent trading post in Montana, was built near the 
mouth of the Yellowstone for the Assiniboine Indians 
in 1829. The lodges of this tribe were to be seen here 
and there all the way from a short distance below the 
mouth of the Yellowstone to the mouth of the Milk 
River. They were also to be found in the territory 
to the north, as far as the Saskatchewan, and east 
to the Assiniboine River. They had long lived there, 
but they had a tradition that, many years before, 
their fathers had lived on the salt water, but they 
could not tell how long it had been or what route 
they had followed on their westward journeyings. 



FUR TRADERS AMONG THE IXDL\NS 47 

During the best days of the fur-trade, they num- 
bered in the neighborhood of 28,000. Their main 
subsistence was the buffalo. They were considered 
good robe-makers by the traders and for this reason 
they were an important tribe to them. Before the 
trading post at Fort Union was estabhshed, they 
took their trade to the Canadian posts, and after- 
ward it was the constant care of the trader to supply 
them with all their needs, so that they would not 
want to return to their former traders. They were 
generally friendly to the whites, although they were 
not always to be trusted. 

The Crows. — A good deal of the trade of this post 
was with the Crowds, from up the Yellowstone Valley. 
The Crows were considered the best robe-makers of 
all the Indian tribes. At different times posts were 
established in the Crow Country, but these people 
were such a roving class that they were not long 
enough in one part of the valley to make it worth 
while to establish a permanent post. It was found 
that the best way to trade with the Crows was to 
go out with a stock of provisions to their camps and 
then take the furs back to Fort Union. 

Early history of the Crows. — Some of the old 
Crow warriors told the traders that they had not 
always hved on the Yellowstone. They came from 
the South, but they themselves could not remember 
living farther South than the Kansas River. WTien 
they came North they divided into two tribes; one 
called the Minnetarees or the Gros Ventres of the 
Missouri settled around the Missouri River near the 
Great Bend in what is now Xorth Dakota, the others, 



48 THE INDIANS 

who kept the old tribal name of Absaraka, which 
means Crow, went to the Yellowstone, and they 
called the Big Horn Valley, the favorite valley of 
their new home, by the same name. 

Crow traits. — The Crows and Minnetarees were 
the tallest and finest formed of any of the Missouri 
River Indians. They were fond of dress and orna- 
ments. Chittenden says about them: ''However 
much they might excel other tribes in physical de- 
velopment, they were in no degree behind them in 
the vices and defects of Indian character. They 
were the most expert of horse-stealers and the most 
skillful robbers among the Missouri tribes." Because 
of this trait they possessed more fine horses and were 
better horsemen than any of their neighbors. 

A trading post for the Blackfeet. — When the 
traders began to know more about the Indians, they 
learned that the Piegans lived in the best beaver 
country. All this time the Piegans were taking their 
furs to the British Posts. The Canadian fur traders 
make a specialty of beaver skins and they offered 
great inducements to the Flatheads and the Piegans 
to come north to trade. 

The American traders were rather fearful at start- 
ing a post in the Blackfoot country. They had 
heard so many stories from the Indians of the hos- 
tility of this tribe, and so many individual traders 
had come to grief in their country, that it seemed a 
perilous undertaking. Then, too, the Assiniboines and 
the Crows did not want their enemies to have a post 
in their own country, for they would then be stronger 
still if more of them would have guns. But the trad- 



FUR TRADERS AMONG THE INDIANS 49 

ers thought only of the beaver skins, and they decided 
to take the consequences. 

Fort Piegan. — The first Blackfoot post was named 
Fort Piegan. During the years that followed it had 
different names until at last it came to be known as 
Fort Benton. After this a new hfe opened up to 
the Blackfeet. Before, they had had only hostile 
feehngs for the white men; their only thought upon 




Kindness of Montana Historical Society Library 

Old Fort Owen 

meeting one was to kill him. But now they had a 
different feeling, for while before, the whites had been 
intruders, now they were clearly there for the In- 
dian's advantage. They supplied a market for their 
furs and brought to the Indians many comforts and 
luxuries. The visit to the post became one of the 
events of the year, and the arrival of the company's 
boat with the supplies and provisions from St. Louis 
was a sight not to be missed. 

The Crows attack the post. — The Crows were so 
dissatisfied with the establishment of the new post 



50 THE INDIANS 

that they planned to attack and destroy it. Major 
Alexander Culbertson, who was in charge of the post, 
was warned by a squaw, who had been captured by 
the Crows but had escaped. She took the news to 
Major Culbertson that the Crows were preparing to 
make an attack on the fort at an early date. 

The fort was put in readiness for the attack, and 
soon the Crows came in large numbers and camped 
around it. They had expected to enter the fort to 
trade but they were not allowed. They had never 
before traded there and Major Culbertson knew that 
their plan was to get inside and then destroy the 
fort. They surrounded the fort and a state of siege 
existed for ten days. Major Culbertson thought it 
would be better to avoid any bloodshed, if possible, 
but when the food gave out and his men were in 
danger of starving, he sent a messenger to say that 
if they were not gone by noon of that day, he would 
fire on them. They paid no heed to his warning 
and at noon the cannon was loaded and shots fired, 
whereupon they immediately took down their lodges, 
packed their belongings, and disappeared up the 
river, and were not seen again in the vicinity. 

Arapooash, the chief w^ho had led the besiegers, 
was one of the greatest that the Crows had ever 
had. He had wanted to keep peace w4th the whites, 
but his people were so determined to destroy the 
post that he had to do their will; but when his 
men showed such a cowardly spirit, when it came to 
battle, he felt that he had been forever disgraced. 
To show that his people were not such cowards as 
they appeared, he planned an expedition against the 



FUR TRADERS AMONG THE INDIANS 51 

Blackfeet. In this battle the great chief lost his life. 
Before he died, he said to his warriors: ''Go back to 
my people with my dying words. Tell them ever 
hereafter to keep peace with the whites." His words 
were faithfully obeyed and to this day the Crows 
have never, as a tribe, made an attack upon the 
whites. 

The Assiniboines attack the post. — After Fort 
Piegan was well established the traders attempted to 
bring about a feeling of peace between the Black- 
feet and the Assiniboines. This was finally accom- 
plished in 1831, and everything went well for about 
two years. Then the Assiniboines, becoming tired of 
the peace, and perhaps urged on by the British trad- 
ers, concluded to attack the post. The men at the 
fort, realizing that the fight was against the Black- 
feet, did not at first join in, until they saw that 
the Blackfeet thought they were standing by out of 
cowardice. They then took a hand. But for them 
the Assiniboines would have won the day. The trad- 
ers were astonished to see what poor fighters the 
Blackfeet proved to be. They could not understand 
how they could have gained the terrible reputation 
they had had for so many years. This battle made 
things much better for the traders, for the Blackfeet 
had much greater respect for them, and the traders were 
no more in fear of an uprising from the Blackfeet. 

Peace . not possible among the tribes. — xAfter 
these hostile affairs the traders gave up trjang to 
keep peace among the tribes. It was no longer pos- 
sible to keep the Assiniboines and the Blackfeet to 
their treaty of peace. As to the Blackfeet and the 



52 THE INDIANS 

Crows, it was often said in those days: ''As long as 
there are Crows and Gros Ventres there w^ill be war." 
This was not hard to be understood, because the 
Crows were such thieves. They doubtless often richly 
deserved the punishment they got from the Gros 
Ventres. 

Smallpox on the Missouri. — In 1837, the annual 
boat for some reason was delayed and the Indians 
at Fort Benton were impatiently waiting for its 
arrival. When news at last came of it, the traders 
were much dismayed, for there was smallpox on 
board! That was a terrible calamity in those days, 
for there was no knowledge of fumigation or neces- 
sary precaution. What to do thej^ could not tell, 
for the Indians were depending upon the supplies 
and they could not be made to understand the dan- 
ger. Major Culbertson, who was then in charge of 
the Upper Missouri posts, told them of the terrible 
effects of the disease, but they thought that they 
were such a strong, sturdy race that nothing of that 
nature would affect them. The}^ insisted upon hav- 
ing the ship's cargo unloaded, and as they were in 
much stronger numbers than the traders, the latter 
had to yield to their wishes. They suffered terribly, 
for they were destroyed by thousands. The disease 
spread to other tribes and the Indians died in great 
numbers. This scourge greatly diminished the In- 
dian population of Montana. What w^as most sur- 
prising of all was the fact that notwithstanding 
the knowledge the traders had of the condition of the 
Indians, the furs that season were sent down the 
river as usual. 



GREAT PEACE COUNCILS 53 

The Montana Indians were not the only suflferers. 
The disease gained such headway in the Mandan 
Village that that nation was practically destroyed; 
only thirty-one of the tribe were left! 

No Flathead or Shoshone posts. — There were no 
posts of the American traders among the Shoshones 
because the Shoshones led such a miserable existence 
that they had no skins to trade. They could find 
barely enough for their own use. The Flatheads 
were in a fine beaver country, but their home was 
on the western side of the mountains in the land 
known as the Oregon Territory, and was at that 
time British Territory. 

4. Great Peace Councils 

The Indians and the missionaries. — The mis- 
sionaries who came in the early forties made a great 
difference in the life of the Indians. The Flat- 
heads especially profited by the temporal help that 
Father DeSmet and his followers brought. Being 
hidden away beyond the mountains, they were be- 
yond the game haunts and were more dependent 
than other tribes upon roots and berries; the intro- 
duction of grains and vegetables made their food 
supply more to be depended upon. The building of 
warm cabins took away the dread of winter. The 
spiritual benefits taught them to be more merciful to 
each other, taught the men to lighten the work of 
the women, and taught them all that there was a 
higher motive of life than war. 

The desire for peace. — The fur traders had given 
up the task of making peace between the tribes as an 



54 THE INDIANS 

impossibility, but the missionaries still hoped that it 
might be accomplished. The Superintendent of In- 
dian Affairs knew that it must be brought about 
before many more white people came into the country 
to make homes. These fierce battles must not go on. 

A council planned. — At last a great council was 
planned to be held at Fort Laramie on the Platte 
River with as many tribes of the West as could be 
induced to come, and in 1851 a delegation of Indians 
from the Assiniboine, Minnetaree and Crow nations 
met at Fort Union to go overland to Fort Laramie. 
There they were rejoiced to see their old friend. 
Father DeSmet, who had come up from St. Louis 
purposely to attend this council. Because of his 
long connection with the western Indians and his 
deep sympathy for them, his services as pacificator 
were much desired by the government. He, with his 
Indian companions, went up the Yellowstone from 
Fort Union to Fort Alexander and up the valley at 
the base of the Big Horn Mountains until they 
struck the Oregon Trail on the Platte River. 

The Oregon trail. — Father DeSmet tells us the im- 
pression the view of the Oregon trail had upon the 
Indians : 

"Our Indian companions, who had never seen but 
the narrow hunting paths by which they transport 
themselves and their lodges, were filled with admira- 
tion on seeing this noble highway, which is as smooth 
as a barn floor swept by the winds, and not a blade 
of grass can shoot up on it on account of the contin- 
ual passing. They conceived a high idea of the count- 
less white nation, as they express it. They fancied 



GREAT PEACE COUNCILS 55 

that all had gone over the road and that an immense 
void must exist in the land of the rising sun. Their 
countenances testified evident incredulity when I 
told them that their exit was in nowise perceived in 
the lands of the whites. They styled the route 'the 
great medicine road of the whites.' . . . They visited 
and examined in detail all the forsaken camping 
grounds on the way. They brought a great variety 
of objects to me to have their use and significance 
explained; they filled their pouches with knives, 
forks, spoons, basins, coffee-pots, and other cooking 
articles, axes, hammers, etc. With the bits of earth- 
enware which bore any figure or inscription, they 
fabricated some ornament for their necks and ears." 

The council. — Chittenden says: "The council 
with its attendant incidents lasted from the 12th 
to the 23rd of September (1851) and was terminated 
to the satisfaction of all concerned. Great harmony 
prevailed. All features of the troublesome situation 
were discussed and earnest effort was made to reach 
some good result. The treaties formed with the vari- 
ous tribes recognized the rights of the whites to 
cross their lands with roads, etc., recompensed the 
Indians for losses sustained, and provided payments 
for losses in the future." 

Governor Isaac I. Stevens. — This council applied 
more to the southern tribes — those on the north 
still waged warfare among themselves. At last 
came a man with the determination to bring about 
the peace between the Montana tribes. This was 
Isaac I. Stevens, the first governor of Washington 
Territory. He had the authority to give promises 



56 THE INDLINS 

of rewards to the Indians for good conduct and 
treaties kept. 

Governor Stevens had been appointed in 1853, and 
in order to reach his capital at Olympia, Washington, 
he took the Missouri River route. He held councils 
with the Assiniboines at Fort Union and with the 
Blackfeet at Fort Benton. He remonstrated w^th 
the Blackfeet for their treatment of the Flatheads, 
wdio had to come through some part of the Black- 
foot country every time they came over to hunt the 
buffalo. The Flatheads were brave warriors, ready 
to stand up before the Blackfeet, and were very 
often the victorious ones; but they were, when com- 
pared to the Blackfeet, such a small tribe that it 
would not be long before they would not only lose 
all their horses but eventualh^ be annihilated. The 
older warriors told Governor Stevens that, although 
they were ready to accede to his wishes, it was not 
so easy to curb the younger men. But they all 
finally agreed to keep peace, leave the Flatheads 
alone, and steal none of their horses, until such time 
as they could have a general council with the Flat- 
heads and other tribes, to come to some agreement 
as to hunting-grounds and common trails and passes. 
This council was appointed to be held at Fort Ben- 
ton in 1855, when Governor Stevens would have re- 
turned from Olympia. He found the Flatheads 
ready to treat with the Blackfeet, but they were not 
so sanguine that the Blackfeet would live up to their 
agreement. 

The council was to have been held at Fort Benton 
but when the time had arrived no word had been 



GREAT PEACE COUNCILS 57 

received about the presents and provisions for the 
Indians, to be given in case the treaty went through 
amicably. Until the arrival of these, the council 
would have to be postponed. This was very much a 
drawback, as the Indians were gathered in great 
numbers. Twelve thousand were in the neighbor- 
hood, the greater part of which were Blackfeet. 
There was not enough game in the vicinity of Fort 
Benton to keep such a large gathering for such a 
length of time, and this was, as well, their usual time 
for putting in their winter's supply of meat, and one 
by one the tribes left to go to the Yellowstone. All 
agreed to return, if possible, when the council was 
about to begin. 

Council of 1855. — Governor Stevens at length 
decided to move the council ground to the mouth of 
the Judith River, thereby saving several days' delay. 
When all were assembled, only about 3,500 were 
present. On the 16th of October, 1855, Governor 
Stevens formally opened the council. It lasted for 
three days. The following extract, taken from the 
Life of Governor Stevens, explains the main features 
of the council: 

"The best feeling prevailed, all the chiefs making 
earnest and sincere speeches in favor of peace, con- 
trasting the advantages of hunting in safety and 
trading between the tribes with the continual losses 
of their young braves and the steady decline in 
numbers from perpetual war, although some of them 
expressed doubts as to restraining the ambitious 
young warriors. Only one passing shadow was cast 
over the assemblage, and that but for a moment. 



58 THE INDIANS 

The treaty made all the country south of the Mis- 
souri a common hunting ground for all the tribes, 
while the country north of the river was to be re- 
served to the Blackfeet for hunting purposes, al- 
though open to the western Indians for trading and 
visiting. To this restriction Alexander, the Pend 
d'Oreille chief, demurred. Said he: 'A long time 
ago this country belonged to our ancestors, and the 
Blackfeet lived far north. We Indians were all well 
pleased when we came together here in friendship. 
Now you point us out a little land to hunt our game 
in. When we were enemies I always crossed over 
there, and why should I not now when we are friends.^ 
Now I have two hearts about it. What is the reason ? 
Which of these chiefs (pointing to the Blackfeet) says 
we are not to go there .^ Which is the one.^' The 
Little Dog, a Piegan chief: 'It is I, and not because 
we have anything against you. We are friendly, 
but the north Blackfeet might make a quarrel if 
you hunted near them. Do not put yourself in their 
way.' On Alexander's insisting, the Little Dog said: 
'Since he speaks so much of it, we will give him lib- 
erty to come out in the north.' 

''This was a matter of a good deal of importance 
to Alexander's people, for this pass across the moun- 
tains was directly opposite to their country and by 
being able to hunt there they were enabled to find 
buffalo at the end of a short trip; the other way was 
much longer. 

"On the last day the commissioners and the chiefs 
and headsmen of all the tribes present signed the 
treaty amid the greatest satisfaction and good feel- 



GREAT PEACE COU^XILS 59 

ing. During the next three days the presents were 
distributed, and coats and medals were presented 
to the chiefs, with speeches by the commissioners, 
exhorting them to keep their promises to their Great 
Father and control their young braves." 

The outcome. — All agreed to keep peace with 
the tribes who were unable to be present, the Crows, 
Crees, Assiniboines, and Snakes, pledging themselves 
not to war upon them or any of their neighboring 
tribes. While there were only about thirty-five 
hundred in the council, the number of Indians party 
to the treaty were about sixteen thousand. Nearly 
all their chiefs and principal men were there in per- 
son and signed the treaty. What was more surpris- 
ing, they afterward observed it, and no more battles 
took place between the Blackfeet and Flatheads. 
''Few treaties with Indians have been so well ob- 
served by them as this by the 'blood thirsty' Black- 
feet. They took no part in the great Sioux wars, nor 
in the outbreak of Joseph." 

"The treaty was much more than a treaty of 
peace as far as the Blackfeet were concerned, for it 
gave them schools, farms, agricultural implements, 
etc., and an agent and annuities of $35,000 for ten 
years, of which $15,000 was devoted to educating 
them in agriculture and to teaching the children." 

5. Sources of Indian History 

The Indians had no written history, but the im- 
portant deeds were carefully told by the old men to 
the younger ones in solemn council. If some one 
of the tribe showed a special interest in the stories, 



60 THE INDIANS 

particular attention was given to him by the old 
story tellers, and he, in his turn, was made ''chief 
speaker." The Indians, yho have been so misun- 
derstood and mistreated by the whites, have been 
reticent about telling their history to us, and hence 
we know very little about the history of the separate 
tribes, and it is hard to distinguish the legends from 
the real events. It is now becoming known that 
much of their traditional history is verified by recent 
discovery as to battlefields and events. 

Father DeSmet, the Jesuit missionary to the Mon- 
tana Indians, has given us in his letters and journals 
many stories about the Flatheads; and the Black- 
feet have told their stories to George Bird Grinnell, 
who has written for us some interesting and valuable 
books on the subject. Hiram Chittenden, in his 
works on Missouri River history and the fur trade, 
has woven the histories of the tribes together, giving 
a better general idea of the Montana Indians than 
any other of the writers to date. But the historian 
who would give the main events in the history of 
each tribe, with the names of illustrious chiefs and 
warriors, would find it a difiicult if not impossible 
matter. 



PART III 
THE FUR TRADE 

1. The Men at the Head of the Fur Trade 

The Chouteaus. — There was a great profit in furs 
in the Eighteenth Century and many men from New 
Orleans went up into the fur countries to make their 
fortunes. One of these was Pierre Laclede Liguist, 
who obtained a charter for the right to hunt and 
trap and trade with the Indians on the Missouri 
River. He took his family with him when he started 
upon his quest and made his headquarters at the 
junction of the Missouri with the Mississippi. His 
wife had been married before to Rene Auguste 
Chouteau, and she had one son whose name was 
Auguste Chouteau. She had four children after her 
marriage to Liguist, but because of an old French 
law, she and all her children had to keep the name 
of the first husband, so that she was always known 
as Madame Chouteau, and her descendents have all 
retained that name to the present day. The one of 
her sons who was most interested in the fur trade of 
the Missouri was called Pierre Chouteau, although 
his name by our American law should have been 
Pierre Liguist. 

For one hundred years after St. Louis was founded, 
the fur trade was almost the only business pursued 



62 THE FUR TRADE 

in the country, outside of farming and mechanical 
labor. Every one who possessed a little capital or 
who could borrow it invested in such merchandise 
as would be attractive to the Indians, and went up 
the river to trade. The Chouteau family were the 
most prominent traders, as they had held the first 
license to trade. Nearly all the men interested with 
them were connected with the family in some way. 

Pierre Chouteau, Sr., was only five years old when 
his parents and older brother founded St. Louis. 

When he was old enough to take up the work of 
his father, he engaged in trade with the Osage In- 
dians, who lived up the Missouri River not far from 
St. Louis. Afterward he extended his trade to the 
Platte Indians, the Omahas, the Sioux, Arickarees, 
and Mandans, and finally met those who inhabited 
the upper regions of the Missouri as far as the 
Great Falls. This was all before Lewis and Clark 
made their journey up the Missouri. It is not stated 
in the journals that he visited these last Indians in 
their homes, but in those days the Indians often 
came a long distance to trade and he probably met 
them at some point lower down the river. Some of 
them came as far as St. Louis, for we read in one of 
the old St. Louis histories that ''The house and 
grounds of Pierre Chouteau was for many years 
one of the most noted in the place. His long inter- 
course and traffic with the tribes of the Lower Mis- 
souri had given him great influence over them and 
they held him in high respect. In their frequent 
visits to our village he kindly allowed them the use 
of his large grounds for their temporary abiding place. 



HEAD OF THE FUR TRADE 63 

Their visits to the phice, particularly of the upper 
tribes, the Mandans, the Arickarees and others, were 
always, in the summer season, coming down in their 
canoes in May and June, in company with the boats 
of the traders, who had spent the winter with them." 
He encouraged his sons to follow in his footsteps, for 
in 1809 he took them and his nephew up the Missouri 
River to some of the upper nations of Indians. One 
of these sons, Pierre Chouteau, Jr., was the one who 
was the most notably concerned in the history of the 
fur trade of the Upper Missouri. It was he who 
took the first steamboat up as far as Fort Union in 
1831-''2, and it was his son Charles, grandson of 
Pierre, Sr., who took the first steamboat in 1859 
from Fort Union to the mouth of the Marias, within 
twelve miles of Fort Benton. 

We can readily see that these three Chouteaus, 
Pierre, Sr., Pierre, Jr., and Charles P., were the ones 
connected with Montana history. Their work was 
in connection with the Missouri Fur Company and 
the American Fur Company. 

Manuel Lisa. — Manuel Lisa was the first trader 
to build a post in Montana. He secured as a part- 
ner George Droillard (called Drewyer in Lewis' 
journals) who had been one of the men of the Lewis 
and Clark Expedition. Lisa was a rival of the Chou- 
teaus; he put his whole life into his trade, and was 
considered quite a wonderful man in his day. He 
was called by some ''The Cortez of the Missouri," 
but the Indians trusted and respected him. They 
knew that he was not trying to get the best of them. 
Ten months of everv vear it was his custom to burv 



64 THE FUR TRADE 

himself in the wilderness, until he became so familiar 
with the fashions of the Indians, the size and color 
of the favorite blanket, the shape and length of toma- 
hawks, that no trader was more a favorite than he. 
He took to them seeds of pumpkins, beans, potatoes, 
and turnips, and taught them how to cultivate them. 
His blacksmiths worked for them, fashioning metal 
scrapers for their animal skins, and mending their 
kettles and doing other little services for them. He 
lent them traps. The old and weak knew that they 
could find refuge from the enemy in his forts. By 
these means he acquired the confidence and friend- 
ship of the Indians, and of course, obtained from 
them their choicest skins in trade. 

William H. Ashley. — Quite different in his way 
was the trader General William H. Ashley. With the 
Chouteaus and Lisa, the fur trade was their whole 
life, with Ashley it was a side issue, a business en- 
terprise engaged in for a few years and then dropped. 

General Ashley was a Virginian, a man of culture. 
He went into the fur trade because it was the most 
profitable as well as the most respectable business of 
that day. The rendezvous of his traders and trap- 
pers have become familiar to all through Washington 
Irving's "Bonneville." After he retired from the 
fur trade, he spent his remaining years in enjoyment 
of the fortune he had made. The account of his 
adventures in the mountains will be found in the 
history of the Rocky Mountain Fur Company. 

John Jacob Astor. — The St. Louis traders had a 
rival whom they greatly feared. This was John 
Jacob Astor, the man who founded the wealth of the 



FUR COMPANIES OF MONTANA 65 

New York family of that name. He had emigrated 
to America from Germany when he was a young 
man of twenty. On the ship in which he came over, 
was a man interested in the fur trade, and this man 
advised him to put his small savings into furs. This 
he did and at the end of a year he took his furs to 
Europe and sold them. He was successful from the 
very start and soon began to acquire riches. He 
bought furs in Canada and from w^hat was then known 
as the Northwest, the region around the Great Lakes. 
He started a post at the mouth of the Columbia, 
but that proved unsuccessful, and at the beginning 
of the fur trade on the Upper Missouri he tried to 
become a member of the company of the St. Louis 
traders, which was then known as the Missouri Fur 
Company. The St. Louis men at first prevented him 
from joining their company, but in a few years time 
they were glad to have the use of his capital. The 
company, after he was admitted, took the name of 
The American Fur Company by which name his 
former company had been known. 

2. The Fur Companies of Montana 

The earliest companies in St. Louis. — The first 
fur company in St. Louis was formed by the French- 
men who were interested with the Chouteaus. They 
formed the company in the latter part of the Eigh- 
teenth Century, in order to show the Canadian fur 
companies that they meant to prevent intrusion upon 
their country at the sources of the Missouri. When 
Manuel Lisa appeared in St. Louis from New Orleans 
with the sole right to trade with the Osages and 



66 



THE FUR TRADE 



other Missouri tribes, it put their company in a new 
light. The right had previously been held by the 
Chouteaus and either they had not thought it neces- 
sary to renew it or Lisa had been the first to secure 
the new one. The only solution of the problem was 






Kindness of Montana Historical Society Library 

All that is left of Fort Benton 



to consolidate, and when Lisa returned from his 
trip to the mountains he entered into a partnership 
with the St. Louis fur traders. 

The Missouri Fur Company. — It was while he was 
connected with this company that Manuel Lisa con- 
ducted the first trade in Montana with the Indians. 

After the war of 1812 it was five j^ears before busi- 
ness picked up again. In 1818 Lisa planned to go 



FUR COMPANIES OF MONTANA 67 

again to the headwaters of the Missouri, and even 
beyond the Rocky Mountains. But before this was 
accomphshed he died. He was succeeded as manager 
of the company by Joshua Pilcher. 

Another post on the Big Horn. — In 1821 another 
post was estabhshed at the mouth of the Big Horn, 
which was the last post built by the Missouri Fur 
Company. To this post a large outfit was sent out 
in 1822, under Immel and Jones, who were to make 
this post their headquarters and endeavor to find 
and trade with the Blackfeet. It was not difficult 
to find the Blackfeet, but to find them in a peaceable 
frame of mind and willing to trade was another 
matter. The company had had such trouble to ap- 
proach this tribe that they began to be suspicious 
that the British fur companies had influenced the 
Indians to be hostile. Early in the spring of 1823, 
Jones and Immel set out from the post to look for 
the Indians. They went to the Three Forks of the 
Missouri, and finding no traces of them proceeded to 
do a little trapping. They worked up the Jefferson 
Fork, and on their way down the stream they came 
upon a band of Blackfeet. The Indians pretended to 
be friendly, but the traders were fearful that they 
were not sincere in their offers of friendship, and 
when the Indians had withdrawn to their camp 
for the night the traders lost no time in leaving 
the spot. They started back to the post and when 
the Blackfeet found that they had escaped, they 
followed them, and overtook them near the Pryor's 
Fork of the Yellowstone. Those who escaped 
made bull-boats and went down the river to 



68 THE FUR TRADE 

the Mandan post. Both Immel and Jones had been 
killed. 

This was a great blow to the Missouri Fur Com- 
pany and showed the utter impossibility of attempt- 
ing to trade with this tribe. Little more is known 
of the company from that time until those who 
were most interested went into the American Fur 
Company. 

The Rocky Mountain Fur Company. — The first 
operation of this company in Montana was near the 
mouth of the Yellowstone, in 1822. William H. 
Ashley and Andrew Henry came up from St. Louis 
and established a post not far from where Fort 
LTnion was built seven years later. They had ex- 
pected to push on to the Three Forks of the Mis- 
souri, but this became impossible because their 
horses were stolen by the Assiniboines. It .was then 
decided to be more to their advantage to work 
toward the south of the Three Forks, and from that 
time their operations were in the Green River country. 
Their method of business was different from that of 
the French traders. They dealt entirely with the 
white trappers and hunters instead of the Indians. 

Ashley's trappers. — A few of the trappers proved 
themselves to be men of such unusual ability that 
Ashley took them into his company. One of these, 
Robert Campbell, had gone to the mountains for 
his health, and William Sublette, with his two broth- 
ers, Milton and Andrew, were men with an inherited 
love for the wilderness, for their grandfather had 
been a companion of Daniel Boone. Campbell and 
William Sublette were the principal partners; they 



FUR COMPANIES OF MONTANA 69 

looked after the affairs of the company in the moun- 
tains. Other prominent mountain men in the com- 
pany were David E. Jackson, Jedediah Smith, James 
Bridger, and Fitzpatrick. Their yearly meeting was 
called a rendezvous, and the traders came overland 
from St. Louis, by way of the Platte River, to the 
Green River country. Several of the old journals 
tell us of these rendezvous; they were unique 
events; nothing like them is known in history. 

Furs in the river. — One season Ashley secured an 
immense lot of furs, so many in fact, that he was able 
that year to retire from business. When he was tak- 
ing these furs down the river he met with an acci- 
dent at the mouth of the Yellowstone. A boat was 
overturned and the packs of furs were floating away. 
This was a very serious matter, for each pack was 
valued at from three to five hundred dollars. 

Soldiers on the Yellowstone. — While the men 
were frantically trying to recover the packs, they 
were suddenly startled by a most unusual sight. Out 
of the bushes on the banks sprang a number of sol- 
diers who swam to the rescue of the floating packs. 
The traders were more used to seeing wild beasts 
than human beings out in the wilds, and the pres- 
ence of those men was amazing as well as a great 
relief. 

The soldiers w^ere members of the General Atkin- 
son Expedition, who had come up the river to hold 
treaties of peace with the Indians. Ashley was only 
too glad to accept their escort down the river. 

Ashley retires. — After Ashley retired, the work 
was carried on by his faithful partners: Smith, Jack- 



70 THE FUR TRADE 

son, and William Sublette. In 1830, these men sold 
out to Thomas Fitzpatrick, Milton Sublette, James 
Bridger, Henry Fraeb, and Jean Baptiste Gervais. 
At this time the Company for the first time took 
the name of ''The Rocky Mountain Fur Company." 
Before that it had gone under Ashley's name. 

The company continues. — The doings of the 
company in the next four years are interesting and 
exciting. Chittenden gives a full account of the 
period. It was during this time that Bonneville was 
in the mountains and that the Battle of Pierre's 
Hole occurred. The operations of this company 
come properly in the history of Idaho and Wyoming, 
but no history of Montana is complete w^ithout 
some mention of it, because so many of the furs 
were procured in Montana around the Three Forks 
of the Missouri and on the headwaters of the Yel- 
lowstone. 

The company sells out. — The Rocky Mountain 
Fur Company proper continued only four years and 
the latter part of that time they were greatly dis- 
turbed by the actions of the American Fur Com- 
pany. This last firm had begun operations on 
the headwaters of the Missouri. They followed the 
Rocky Mountain Fur Company for several months in 
order to discover the good fur fields. The latter re- 
sisted their efforts, going to great extremes in order 
to avoid and mislead them, but the American Fur 
Company was too strong an organization to oppose, 
and in 1834 the Rocky Mountain Fur Company sold 
their traps and outfit to Fitzpatrick, Sublette, and 
Bridger, who in turn sold to the American Fur Com- 



FUR COMPANIES OF MONTANA 71 

pany in 1836. Bridger and Fitzpatrick went into 
the employ of the latter company. 

The American Fur Company. — John Jacob Astor 
started operations in St. Louis in 1822 when he 
established a western department of his company 
there. In 1827 the firm of Bernard Pratte and 
Company went into partnership with Astor. Pierre 
Chouteau, Jr., was one of the principal members of 
the firm. Through his influence, Kenneth McKenzie 
became interested in the firm in the same year. 
Pierre Chouteau's company was to have charge of 
affairs at St. Louis and be the agents of the ''West- 
ern Department of the American Fur Company." 
Kenneth McKenzie was to have charge of all the 
trade above Fort Pierre. His part of the company 
was still known as the ''Tapper Missouri Outfit," 
and was a part of the Western Department. Ram- 
sey Crooks was over all and had charge also of the 
Northern Department around the Great Lakes. His 
headquarters were in New York. 

Kenneth McKenzie. — Knowing as he did the 
ways of a large concern, McKenzie was an invaluable 
aid in establishing the trade. He advised the com- 
pany to launch into the far wilderness, to go into the 
haunts of the buffalo and procure their valuable 
skins. He told them that the Canadian companies 
could not compete with them in this line of the trade, 
as the buffalo skins were too heavy to pay for their 
transportation over the portages, while these could be 
easily brought to St. Louis down the Missouri River. 
The Canadian companies dealt exclusively in the 
small, fine furs, and it would not be hard to secure 



72 THE FUR TRADE 

the trade of the Indians in the vicinity of the Mis- 
souri. 

Post at mouth of Yellowstone. — Acting on the 
advice of McKenzie, they sent an outfit up the river 
in 1827, to prospect and find out the disposition of 
the Indians in the matter. McKenzie led this out- 
fit, going up as far as the mouth of the Yellowstone. 
Here they found the Assiniboines, who were desirous 
of having an accessible post. This was a beauti- 
ful site, ''abounding in the best of timber, above, 
below and opposite the fort, and with all kinds of 
game." He sent out couriers to all camps in the 
vicinity, inviting Crees, Chippeways, and Assiniboines 
to come and trade. This they did in large numbers, 
as well as did many half-breed families. 

A post was built about two miles above the 
mouth of the Yellowstone, and named Fort Union. ^ 
Here in a short time a good trade was established, 
and McKenzie's next ambition was to secure the 
trade of the hitherto unapproachable Blackfeet. 

The Blackfoot post. — While he was wondering 
how he should come into communication with this 
tribe, a trapper by the name of Berger came to 
Fort Union. He had been employed at the post in 
Canada where the Blackfeet had been trading. He 
knew the Blackfeet well and he was their friend. He 
agreed to go with a party up the river to the Black- 
feet country, and make arrangements with them to 
trade. Twelve men accompanied him. They went 
up the Missouri and up to the head of the Marias 

^ This post being two miles above the mouth of the Yellowstone 
brought it within the limits of the present Montana. 



FUR COMPANIES OF MONTANA 73 

before they saw an Indian. There they came across 
a band of Piegans, and Berger's men were ready to 
desert from fear. Berger made signs to the Indians 
and called out his name. They recognized him and 
received him with joy, and the white men's fears 
were set at rest. They agreed to go down to Fort 
Union with Berger to make arrangements to trade, 
and the entire party set out down the river. The 
way was longer than the Indians had expected and 
Berger had difficulty in keeping them to their inten- 
tion, for they were determined to turn back about a 
day's ride from Fort Union. Berger at last succeeded 
in getting them to the post, where after a council 
they were promised a post in their own country. 

The Crow trade. — There had been no trouble in 
interesting the Crows in the trade. They had never 
had any dealings with the Canadian companies, and 
they were naturally a peaceable tribe. Their first 
post was built at the mouth of the Big Horn. 

Free trappers. — McKenzie had charge of all 
these outposts as well as Fort Union. He also over- 
saw the parties of traders who were sent up into the 
mountains to meet the free traders at the yearly 
rendezvous in the Green River Country. These 
parties proved to be a failure, for the Rocky Moun- 
tain Fur Company always managed to get to the 
rendezvous first and monopolized the trade. 

The liquor trouble. — In 1832, a law was passed 
which prohibited any liquor being carried up the 
river for the Indian trade. This was a great blow 
to the American Fur Company, for it was their 
ability to sell liquor to them that prevented the 



74 THE FUR TRADE 

Indians from going over into Canada to trade. 
Every means was taken to gain permission to sell 
the liquor, but to no purpose. Finally McKenzie 
found a way to evade the law without seeming 
to openly violate it. He built a distillery at the 
post, for there was no law against the manufacturing 
of liquor. It merely stated that no liquor was to 
be taken up the river. 

As the American Fur Company was as grasping a 
trust as any that we have at the present day, it is 
not to be supposed that they had no enemies. Some 
of these reported the fact of the existence of the " still " 
to the Government and the company had a very 
serious lawsuit. In fact, they would have lost their 
license to trade had it not been for the clever work 
of Thomas H. Benton, the company's lawyer. Mc- 
Kenzie left Fort Union soon after. He spent some 
time in Europe and came back to St. Louis, but was 
no more actively engaged in the work of the company. 

Astor retires. — In 1834, Astor retired from the 
business. He had made a vast fortune and had seen 
all his plans realized. His interest in the Western 
Department was bought by Pratte, Chouteau and 
Company. In 1838, this firm was changed to P. 
Chouteau, Jr., and Company, and from that time 
until the decline of the fur trade the business was 
entirely in the hands of Pierre Chouteau, Jr. 

3. The Posts of the American Fur Company 

Fort Union. — The most important trading post 
on the Upper Missouri was Fort Union. It was 
built in 1828 and at first was named Fort Floyd. 



THE AMERICAN FUR COMPANY 75 

The name was changed to Fort Union in 18^29. The 
trade was with the Assiniboines. Kenneth McKenzie 
was the first master of the post, and of the posts 
above Fort Union. Chittenden says: ''From his 
headquarters at Fort Union, McKenzie ruled over 
an extent of country greater than that of many a 
notable empire in history. His outposts were hun- 
dreds of miles away. His parties of trappers roamed 
far and wide through the fastnesses of the mountains. 
From every direction tribes of roving Indians came 
to his posts to trade." 

Major Alexander Culbertson. — Alexander Culbert- 
son was the next master of the post. He had gone 
to Fort McKenzie as a clerk when a young man of 
twenty-four and in a few years was sent to Fort 
Union as master. At the age of thirty-nine, he was 
made agent for the whole company, with headquarters 
at St. Louis. 

Last days at Fort Union. — For several years no 
especial record is to be found of doings at Fort 
L^nion. Charles Larpenteur, who was one of the 
clerks at Fort L'nion, tells us in his Journals of the 
last days at Fort Union. ''In the spring of 1864, I 
made arrangements with Mr. Chouteau to take 
charge of Fort Union — We arrived early in the 
morning and came in sight of the fort unobserved. 
The doors were all closed and not a living object 
was stirring except some buffalo, passing about three 
hundred yards from the fort. But the door was 
soon opened, the flag hoisted, and the artillery fired, 
to which salute the boat responded. We were in- 
formed that the Sioux had been and were still so bad 



76 THE FUR TRADE 

that the men dared not keep the doors open. . . . 
On the 13th of June, Mr. Chouteau arrived with 
his steamer, the 'Yellowstone,' bringing a company 
of soldiers for the protection of the fort and of the 
Assiniboines. It was Company I, Wisconsin Volun- 
teers, commanded by Captain Greer; and Major 
Wilkinson, the Indian Agent, also arrived. The 
Yellowstone left for Benton the same day. On the 
second of July, it returned from Benton, and after 
all arrangements had been made, I took charge of 
Fort Union for the last year of the American Fur 
Company. On the 5th of June, 1865, Mr. Chouteau 
arrived on the Yellowstone in great distress; having 
been reported as a rebel, he could not obtain a license 
and was obliged to sell out all his trading posts, ex- 
cept Benton; all other posts he sold to Hubble, 
Hawley and Co., of which A. B. Smith of Chicago 
was the head; it was called 'The Northwest Fur 
Company.'" This Mr. Chouteau was Charles P. 
Chouteau, the son of Pierre Chouteau, Jr. 

Fort Benton. — Fort Piegan and its successors, 
Fort McKenzie, Fort Chardon, Fort Lewis, and Fort 
Benton, were all near the site of the present 
Fort Benton. They were all practically the same 
post, as their trade was with the same Indians every 
year. The sites were changed to suit the conven- 
ience of the Indians. 

Fort Piegan. — Fort Piegan was built by James 
Kipp in the fall of 1831, at the mouth of the Marias. 
He was accompanied by about seventy-five men. 
They had come up the river in a keel-boat laden 
with goods. The first winter's trade was more sue- 



THE AMERICAN FUR COMPANY 77 

cessful than they had hoped, but because of the 
remoteness from civihzation and the severity of the 
winter, the men were unwiUing to serve another year, 
so when Kipp returned to Fort Union in the spring 
to take down furs and bring up supphes for the 
next season, all the men accompanied him, with 
the exception of three, who were left partly to assure 
the Indians that the company had not deserted the 
spot and partly because they were satisfied with the 
savage life and had taken to themselves wives from 
the Piegans. The fort had been built as near to the 
river as possible, so that the goods could be easily 
moved from the boats. As the Missouri is ever 
changing its channel, in the course of time the banks 
were gradually washed away, until long ago the site 
of old Fort Piegan was washed into the river. 

Fort McKenzie. — In the summer of 1832, 
David D. Mitchell, with sixty men, went up the 
river and built the second post, naming it Fort 
McKenzie. The Indians had burnt Fort Piegan. 
^ATien he took the furs to Fort Union in the spring 
of 1833, he was accompanied on his return trip by 
Major Alexander Culbertson, who had recently 
arrived from St. Louis and had been assigned to 
duty at Fort McKenzie. 

Chardon in charge. — In 1841, Major Culbertson 
was transferred to Fort Laramie, one of the posts on 
the Platte River, and Fort McKenzie was put in 
charge of F. A. Chardon, a man w^ho had had some 
experience with the Sioux. Major Culbertson was 
unwilling to go because he was afraid that Chardon 
was not the right man to leave with the Blackfeet, 



78 THE FUR TRADE 

but he had to obey orders. His fears were reaHzed, 
for in a short time Chardon antagonized the Black- 
feet. The Indians immediately declared war and it 
was found necessary to abandon the fort, "a post 
that for ten years had been one of the most profit- 
able maintained by the American Fur Company." 

Fort Chardon. — Fort F. A. Chardon was then 
built at the mouth of the Judith and Fort McKenzie 
was burned. None but the Piegans traded at Fort 
Chardon and they gradually stopped until there was 
no trade at all. The Indians were so hostile that it 
was necessary for the men to remain within the walls 
of the fort most of the time. The Indians even 
carried their hostility as far as Fort Union, driving 
off the horses and killing two men. 

Much against his will. Major Culbertson was put 
in charge of the post again. He was the only man 
who was capable of straightening out the diflSculty, 
for the Indians knew him and knew that they could 
trust him. It took some time to build the new post 
for they had to be careful to keep the Indians in 
ignorance of their plans until everything was ready 
for the trade. When all was completed, word was 
sent by an old Blackfoot, who happened to come 
near the fort, to his people, with presents of tobacco 
and blankets, inviting them to come to the post to a 
council. The new post was named Fort Lewis. 

The Indians came and talked the matter over 
with Major Culbertson, whom they knew to be their 
friend. The Indians agreed to be at peace, and with 
a distribution of presents, they departed to their 
village. Fort Chardon was burned down and all the 



THE AMERICAN FUR COMPANY 79 

effects moved to St. Louis. Trade was restored and 
a profitable season followed. 

Fort Lewis. — In 1846, Fort Lewis was removed 
to the present site of Fort Benton, but retained the 
old name. It was practically the same building, as 
the same timbers were used and were put in the 
same position as before. The season was a most 
profitable one, as the new location was more con- 
venient, it having been necessary before for the In- 
dians to cross the river, a dangerous undertaking, 
especially in w^inter. 

Fort Benton. — In 1850, an adobe fort was built 
at Fort Benton, in place of Fort Lewis, and it was 
dedicated on Christmas night with a grand ball and 
renamed at the time in honor of Thomas H. Benton. 
Andrew Dawson, for whom Dawson County was 
named, was left in charge of Fort Benton after the 
departure of Major Culbertson, and he remained in 
charge as long as the company operated in Montana. 

The Yellowstone posts. — Fort Cass was the first 
trading post of the American Fur Company on the 
Yellowstone. It was built by A. J. TuUoch, two 
miles below the mouth of the Big Horn, in 1832. 
Larpenteur says, in his ''Forty Years a Fur-Trader": 
TuUoch's ''first returns consisted mostly of elk, deer, 
and all kinds of horns, which made great mirth at 
Fort Union; yet his trade had been profitable." 
Trade was opened again, the next year, and con- 
tinued until 1835. This was considered a dangerous 
post because of wandering bands of Blackfeet, who 
became so persistent that the men were even afraid 
to go out to chop wood. 



80 THE FUR TRADE 

The Crows were rather changeable, asking the 
removal of the post from time to time. Van Buren 
was the second post built. It was at the mouth of 
the Rosebud and was continued from 1835 to 1842, 
at which latter date it was replaced by Fort Alex- 
ander. Charles Larpenteur built this fort and burned 
old Fort Van Buren. Fort Alexander gave way to 
Fort Sarpy, which was built by Alexander Culbert- 
son, in 1850, at the mouth of the Rosebud. 

4. Transporting Goods to the Mountains 

By land. — The Rocky Mountain Fur Company 
usually sent their goods overland to the Green River 
Country by pack train. When the traders started 
on their return to St. Louis with the season's furs, 
they were indeed an imposing sight. In Hyde's 
''History of St. Louis" we read that "an eyew^itness 
who met a cavalcade, states that the pack-horses, 
richly laden with bales of valuable furs and peltries, 
the hunters and assistants accompanying them, and 
a lot of half-breeds with their squaws and papooses 
filling in the open spaces, made a line that stretched 
for a mile along the road." And Larpenteur says in 
his journals: ''It is impossible to describe my feel- 
ings at the sight of all that beaver — all those moun- 
tain men unloading their mules in their strange 
mountain costume, most of their garments of buck- 
skin and buffalo hide, but all so well greased and 
worn that it took close examination to tell what they 
were made of." 

By water. — The four primitive types of boats 
used by the explorers were the only kind used on 



SENDING GOODS TO THE MOUNTAINS 81 

the Upper Missouri until 1831. Steamboats had 
been in use around St. Louis since 1817, but no one 
had thought it was possible to go to the Upper River 
in a steamboat. The first man to try if it were pos- 
sible was Pierre Chouteau, Jr.,. the fur trader. He 
found that it could be done and went up as far as 
Fort Union. Almost thirty years later, his son, 
Charles P. Chouteau, found that steamboats could go 
even as far as Fort Benton. 

Steamboats. — Just fancy the wonder and fear of 
the Indians at seeing a great white object sailing 
majestically up the river, without any apparent means 
of locomotion, and great columns of smoke pouring 
out of two stacks! This was no time for arrows and 
spears. The proper procedure was to get out of the 
way of the monster. But ''familiarity breeds con- 
tempt," and after a few times they were standing 
on the bank, watching the boats go by. Then we 
read about how one time a band stood threateningly 
on the shore before a boat, thrusting their spears 
into the ground. Now this in the Indian sign lan- 
guage meant that the white men must stop for a 
council. The early voyagers well knew all these 
signs and also knew that they must obey the In- 
dians' wishes or there would be trouble further on. 
Drawing up to the bank, the captain and officers 
landed, and they were questioned as to their business 
in that country, what their destination and intention. 
They answered that they were the fur traders bound 
for the Upper River country; that they had articles 
for trade with the Assiniboines ; that their intentions 
were peaceable and that they would return to St. 



82 THE FUR TRADE 

Louis when the season was over. Although the In- 
dians were rather suspicious, they finally consented 
to allow them to proceed, but only on condition 
that they take the chief along with them to assure 
him that all was well. This they willingly did and 
there was no further trouble. 

As the years passed, the Indians began to look 
for the annual boats in anticipation and eventually 
to look upon the Americans as a people to be ad- 
mired for their great works, at least more so than 
the French or English. No such boats were to be 
seen on Canadian rivers in the West, therefore they 
were glad to give their trade to this superior nation. 

The steamboats looked much larger than they 
really were, because they rode almost entirely upon 
the surface of the water, the hull being only about 
three or four feet in the water. The topmost deck 
was a small one, known as the Texas. It contained 
the officers' quarters. On top of that was the pilot 
house, which stood high up over the boat and the 
river, giving the pilot every opportunity to see the 
channel and any dangers in the way. The pilot was 
the most important officer on the boat. He even out- 
ranked the captain. He had to be a man of unusual 
knowledge and judgment, able to locate snags and 
swift currents. A careless man would be a menace 
to the boat. 

After the steamboats had once made their way up 
to Fort Union, the smaller boats were not so much 
used from there to St. Louis, but they were still 
used all through the most important of the fur-trad- 
ing days, from Fort Union to Fort Benton. We 



NOTED TRAPPERS 83 

must think, then, of the steamboating days in Mon- 
tana as not beginning until 1859, a period which 
belongs to the part of the story of the prospectors. 

5. Noted Trappers 

Trappers. — The wanderings of the trappers took 
them into many hitherto unexplored parts of the 
West, giving them a know^ledge of the country which 
was of great value to the government expeditions of 
later days. Chittenden says: ''It was the trader 
and trapper who first explored and established the 
routes of trade which are now, and always will be, 
the avenues of commerce in that region. They were 
the 'pathfinders' of the West, and not those later 
ofiicial explorers whom posterity so recognizes. No 
feature of western geography was ever discovered 
by government explorers after 1840. Everything was 
already known, and had been for a decade." 

James Bridger. — James Bridger is a familiar 
name to Westerners, and yet there is little written 
about him in historj^ He had such a distinct per- 
sonality that all who came in contact with him re- 
membered him. He came to the mountains first in 
1822, at the age of eighteen, with Ashley and Andrew 
Henry. While in the service of the Rocky Mountain 
Fur Company, he explored the Great Salt Lake in 
1824-5, and by 1830 he had visited the Yellowstone. 
He was with the American Fur Company for seven 
years. At the end of that time he set up an 
estabhshment of his own at the head of the Green 
River, not far from the Great Salt Lake. This 
he called Fort Bridger. He chose a convenient site 



84 THE FUR TRADE 

for it, for afterward both the Oregon Trail and 
the Salt Lake Trail passed by his door and he be- 
came a character well known to all emigrants and 
prospectors. Reuben G. Thwaites, in one of his 
volumes of ''Early Western Travels," says of him: 
"There he lived for many years with his Indian 
wife (a Shoshone), greatly aiding Western emigra- 
tion. His ability as a topographer was remarkable 
and he knew the Trans-Mississippi country as did 
few others. His services as a guide were therefore 
in great demand for all Government and large private 
expeditions. General Sheridan consulting him in 
reference to an Indian campaign as late as 1868. 
As the West became civilized and lost its distinctive 
frontier features, Bridger retired to a farm near 
Kansas City, where he died in 1881. His name is 
attached to several western regions, notably Bridger's 
Peak in southwestern Montana. The figure of the 
trapper in the dome of the Montana state capitol, 
at Helena, is said to be a portrait of this picturesque 
character. He was so noted for his remarkable tales 
of western adventures and wonders that his descrip- 
tions of Yellowstone Park were long uncredited, being 
contemptuously referred to as 'Jim Bridger's Lies.'" 

6. The Hudson Bay Company in Montana 

The Oregon Country. — The western part of Mon- 
tana was, at the time of the fur-trade, a portion of 
the Oregon Country, and did not become United States 
territory until 1846. Until the Treaty between the 
United States and Great Britain, in 1846, the Oregon 
Country was a disputed piece of ground and both 



THE HUDSON BAY COMPANY 85 

British and American companies traded there. The 
Hudson Bay Company, being the oldest and strong- 
est, was the only company which had regular trading 
posts on the headwaters of the Columbia. This com- 
pany was the pioneer fur company of North America, 
having been in operation since 1670. The North- 
western Company was its great rival. This was 
organized in 1783 by the leading merchants of Can- 
ada, and at once began explorations to the extreme 
west and north, and was not satisfied until the Paci- 
fic Ocean and the mouth of the McKenzie were 
reached. 

Post on Clark's Fork. — Thus in 1810, one 
Thompson, who was an employee of the North- 
western Company, explored the sources of the Co- 
lumbia and established a post on Clark's Fork, near 
the present town of Thompson Falls. This was prob- 
ably a temporary post, as we have been able to find 
nothing further about it. It was called Flathead or 
Saleesh House, but it must not be confused with the 
Flathead House which was afterward established by 
the Hudson Bay Company on Post Creek, near the 
foot of Flathead Lake. In 1821 the two companies 
united, and the name of the Hudson Bay retained, 
as it was the older company. 

Fort Colville. — The principal post on the Upper 
Columbia was Fort Colville, it bearing the same re- 
lation to the Columbia and its branches that Fort 
Union did to the Missouri and Yellowstone. In 
trading w^ith the Flatheads, the Hudson Bay Com- 
pany sent out goods to Horse Plains from Fort Col- 
ville, and here the traders were met by the Indians. 



86 THE FUR TRADE 

Angus McDonald. — Angus McDonald was a clerk 
in the Hudson Bay Company and was at one time 
in charge of Fort Colville. In one of his manuscripts, 
now in the Historical Library in Helena, he speaks of 
an old post above Thompson Falls, which was last oc- 
cupied by himself and a party of men in 1849. This 
may have been the same post built by Thompson in 
1810, but we have no authority for so stating. 

McDonald built the Flathead House about thirty 
miles south of Flathead Lake, on Post Creek, at the 
foot of the Mission Range of mountains, in 1847. 
This post was torn down several years ago. Duncan 
McDonald, the son of the old trader, was for several 
years clerk at Flathead House. He is now a pros- 
perous farmer on the Jocko. During the trading 
days, the Indians who came to the post were Flat- 
heads and their allied tribes. Sometimes there wouU 
be as many as a thousand lodges of Nez Perces 
camped in the Valley. In 1872, the Hudson Bay 
Company sold all their claims to the United States, 
and at that time the post was abandoned. 

Such traders as Major Culbertson and Angus Mc- 
Donald had a great influence for good over the In- 
dians. The Indians trusted them and learned to 
think more of the white race than they were at first 
disposed to do. In one of their councils, an old 
Indian expressed his feelings to Angus McDonald in 
the following words: ''I am already old; I was 
young when I heard of you; I was far when I heard 
of you; and you gave flour and ammunition and 
blankets and shirts and flints and awls and thread 
to our people; and you covered our dead and you 



LETTERS OF THE FUR TRADERS 87 

went to see the sick. For all that and for more than 
that we heard of you. The white man says he has 
a God, and says he has a priest, and says he has a 
Christ. You often were a Christ to us. Our dis- 
tressed were relieved by you; we preserve you in our 
hearts with good will, and keep you there as a Great ^ 
Chief. You are here and our hearts and our eyes are 
glad you came." 

No other posts in Montana. — It is well for the 
reader to remember that the Hudson Bay Company 
had no posts in Montana except this one among the 
Flatheads, and that the companies had no other con- 
nection with Montana history, as far as we know, 
with the exception of occasional trapping parties 
into the mountains, and the trading of our Indians 
up at their posts in Canada. 

7. The Journals and Letters of the Fur 
Traders 

Journals. — In the fur-trading days some of the 
traders kept journals but very few of these are in a 
shape for general reading. The head men of the 
posts thought that these traders were wasting a lot of 
time. They made fun of them, calling them ''Scrib- 
bling clerks." To those of us who are able to find 
them, these journals are of the greatest value. 

Two Journals accessible. — Only two journals 
which have any connection with Montana history 
are at present in shape to be used by the general 
public. One is called ''The River of the West." 
It is an account by Mrs. F. F. Victor, taken from 
the journals of the trapper Joseph Meek. This is 



88 THE FUR TRADE 

an old book, not found in many libraries. The 
other journal is that of Charles Larpenteur. This 
has been published and edited by Elliott Coues, 
under the name, ''Forty Years a Fur Trader." The 
editorial notes are as valuable as the journal itself, 
for Dr. Coues had access to other journals and was 
able to verify certain parts and correct misstatements. 

Washington living's Bonneville. — A good many 
years ago one of the old journals fell into the hands 
of Washington Irving, who took extensive notes 
from it and wrote a book entitled ''The Rocky 
Mountains," which is now published under the name 
of "The Adventures of Captain Bonneville." Bonne- 
ville's mountain life was spent more to the south 
of the present Montana, but his description of fur- 
trading days applies to Montana as well as Wyom- 
ing, Idaho, and Utah. Washington Irving, in his 
preface, tells us how he found the journals, and how 
Bonneville wrote them. He tells us that into the 
journals he has interwoven stories that he himself 
heard from other mountain men, and has given it 
a "tone and coloring drawn from his own observa- 
tion during an excursion into the Indian country 
beyond the bounds of civilization." But the work is 
principally Bonneville's, and many of the passages 
are in the words of the original journal. In this 
work is a good description of the Rocky Mountain 
Fur Company, and the life of the trappers is told in 
a most interesting way. 

General Chittenden says in his "History of the 
American Fur Trade of the Far West": "It will not 
be far wrong to say that the greatest service which 



LETTERS OF THE FUR TRADERS 89 

Capt. Bonneville rendered his country was by fall- 
ing into the hands of Washington Irving. . . . His 
luckiest accident was in furnishing the occasion for 
the production of Irving's description of Rocky 
Mountain life during the best days of the fur trade. 
Cajpt. Bonneville as this work is now commonly called, ^ 
is a true and living picture of those early scenes, 
and taken with Astoria will ever remain our highest 
authority upon the events to which they relate. . . . 
Astoria and Cajpt, Bonneville are the classics of the 
x\merican fur trade, unapproached and unapproach- 
able in their particular field." 

W. A. Ferris. — Another of the traders kept a 
journal and afterward published a part of it in a 
series of magazine articles. This was many years 
ago and the magazine is hard to find. Chittenden 
says that the journal abounds in valuable informa- 
tion relating to the fur trade and is ''our sole author- 
ity on a number of points. It contains for example 
the first written description by an eye-witness of the 
geysers of the Yellowstone." 

Correspondence of the American Fur Company. — 
The Chouteau family of St. Louis have fallen heir 
to a large correspondence carried on by the fur- 
trading members of their family with the traders at 
the posts on the Upper Missouri. Chittenden says: 
''These documents comprise correspondence, journals, 
records of business accounts and other papers, some 
of them dating back into the eighteenth century. 
Many of them are in the French language and a few 
in the Spanish. There are occasional gaps and omis- 
sions and many documents have evidently been lost. 



90 THE FUR TRADE 

or their present whereabouts are unknown, but 
enough are still in existence to settle most of the 
doubtful points upon the operations of the St. Louis 
traders." 

Other manuscripts. — Other letters and journals 
are in the possession of descendents of the fur trad- 
ers. Many of these are the only authority upon 
many points connected with the history of the fur 
trade. It will probably be many years before these 
are published, for there is not enough demand at 
present for books about that period of our history. 

Editors of the journals. — We should be grateful to 
such men as General Chittenden, Dr. Elliott Coues, 
and Reuben Gold Thwaites, who have searched out 
all the old records and made some of them available 
for our use. Chittenden's ''American Fur Trade of 
the Far West" would come under the. head of ''sec- 
ondary sources," but it is as valuable to us as a pri- 
mary source for he has gone to the primary sources 
and brought out from them for our use the points 
that would be of the greatest interest to us and 
which we may never get in a printed form. His 
work is more to be trusted in some cases, too, than 
the originals for he has compared all the writings 
and determined the truth by the comparison. 



PART IV 
VISITORS TO THE POSTS 

1. Prince Maximilian 

European scientists. — The news of the discovery 
of the Great West extended to Europe, and scientiots 
became interested in hearing about the new country, 
about the different animals and flowers and the tribes 
of Indians to be found there. No books had been 
written on the subject and the only way they could 
find out anything was through letters from the fur 
traders. 

Prince Maximilian. — One German scientist. Prince 
Maximilian from Coblentz on the Rhine, was an exten- 
sive traveler. He had been over a large part of 
South America, and, in 1833, although he was an 
old man of seventy years, he determined to see for 
himself this interesting new country. 

In St. Louis. — In that early day every one who 
was going up into the mountains or beyond the 
settlements went first to St. Louis. It was the 
largest settlement on the frontier, the best place to 
buy an outfit and find men to help in transporting 
goods. Like all others, Maximilian went first to St. 
Louis. While he was there preparing for his journey 



92 VISITORS TO THE POSTS 

he made the acquaintance of Pierre Chouteau, who 
was so actively interested in the fur trade. 

The boats in which he traveled. — He made the 
voyage up as far as Fort Union on the Yellowstone, 
one of the first steamboats to go up the Missouri. 
The boat was at that time making her third trip. 
The voyage from Fort Union to Fort McKenzie was 
made in a keel-boat with the fur traders. In return- 
ing, mackinaw boats were used. 

Events of the trip. — The steamboat voyage w^as 
uneventful, except for the gathering of unusual speci- 
mens. Nothing out of the ordinary routine of one 
of the old posts happened for the two weeks that 
Maximilian stayed at Fort Union. 

The voyage on the keel-boat was more exciting. 
At the Judith River they were hailed by a large band 
of Gros Ventres who wanted to come on the boat 
and trade. D. D. Mitchell, who had charge of the 
goods, wanted to wait until they reached Fort Mc- 
Kenzie, but, as the number of men on the boat were 
only about fifty, and the Indians numbered eight 
or nine hundred, they could not openly refuse to 
trade. Mitchell understood the Indians and knew how 
to handle them; he finally persuaded them to wait 
until they reached the fort. He was not afraid of 
any violence although the Indians swarmed all over 
the boat, looking into all the apartments and exam- 
ining everything. The Prince and the men of the 
boat were badly frightened for they thought that 
there would surely be trouble if the Indians did not 
get what they wished. At last the boat was cleared 
of the intruders, and the Prince could enjoy the 



PRINCE MAXIMILIAN 93 

beauties of the landscape, which at this point was 
the place so admired by Lewis and Clark, and which 
they had named "The Stone Walls." 

Fort McKenzie. — As they were drawing near to 
Fort McKenzie, they were received with delight by 
the men of the post. The Indians and those employed 
at the post were lined up all along the bank. They 
were led up through a double line of Indians, the 
costumes of the latter being very amusing to the 
Prince. He says: ''When we arrived at the fort 
there was no end of shaking of hands. We had 
happily accomplished the voyage from Fort Union 
in thirty-four days, had lost none of our people, and 
subsisted during the whole time by the produce of 
the chase." 

The trade with the Indians was a novel experience, 
and the Prince kept his artist busy with the portraits 
of the most unique of the characters. After a few 
days, while the trading was still going on, some 
trouble began in the camps of the Indians. The 
condition was serious for a while and the traders 
finally had to take a hand and drive the intruders 
away. This was the time that the xAssiniboines made 
the attack upon Fort McKenzie that was mentioned 
in the chapter on the Indians. 

Maximilian leaves Fort McKenzie. — The hostil- 
ity of the Assiniboines shortened the visit of Prince 
Maximilian. In order to give him transportation 
down the river he had to wait until a mackinaw 
boat was built, which was done within the walls of 
the fort. It took twenty-one men to carry it to the 
river after it was completed. It was none too large 



94 VISITORS TO THE POSTS 

for the Prince's specimens, among which were cages 
with two hve bears. Six men accompanied him and 
they left the fort September 14th, ISSSj after a stay 
of five weeks. 

Destruction of the specimens. — On the way down 
to Fort Union the Prince's collection of wild flowers 
was ruined by water. This was a hard blow, but he 
suffered a more severe one later on, — for after he 
had stored his whole collection on a steamer going 
down to St. Louis, the steamer took fire and burned. 
A terrible disappointment this was, for the collection 
would have been a valuable addition to any museum. 

A pleasant memory. — Maximilian's visit was one 
long remembered at the posts, for he was a unique 
character and caused a great deal of merriment 
among the men. 

2. Catlin the Indian Painter 
George Catlin. — Another scientist had been up as 
far as Fort Union before Maximilian. This was 
George Catlin, the famous Indian painter. He had 
gone up the Missouri in 1832 on the first steamboat 
that went up to Fort Union. He spent the whole 
summer at Fort Union making sketches of Indians 
and traders. 

3. Audubon, the Naturalist 
Early life. — Another scientist of note visited the 
Upper Missouri Country some ten years later. This 
was John James Audubon, a native of the South, 
having been born on a plantation in Louisiana, of 
French parents. Early in his boyhood he displayed 
a love for ornithology, which his father encouraged, 



AUDUBON THE NATURALIST 95 

sending him to Europe to be educated at the age of 
fifteen. On his return, his father settled him on a 
farm in Pennsylvania, but his mind was so set on 
his studies of birds and other animals that he neg- 
lected his farm, spending much of the time in the 
woods with his gun and dog. These long excursions 
into the woods fitted him for others more extended. 

Quadrupeds of North America. — Not until he 
had been in Europe for some years attending to the 
publication of his works, and not until he was sixty- 
three years old, did he make this trip to Fort Union. 
He was preparing a work which was to be known as 
"The Quadrupeds of North America," and he was 
seeking information for it on his western trip. 

In St. Louis. — He arrived in St. Louis on the 
28th of March, 1843, but it was the middle of April 
before the ice in the river was broken sufficiently for 
the steamer "The Omega" to start up the river safely. 
While waiting he employed his time in studying 
the animals around St. Louis and cultivating the 
acquaintance of Pierre Chouteau, whom Audubon 
found ''a worthy old man so kind and so full of 
information about the countries of the Indians." 

Up the river. — Audubon mentions the French- 
Canadian or Creole trappers who were on board the 
boat. Some of these men probably had served as 
voyageurs on the keel-boats in earlier years. 

Near Independence, Missouri, they met another 
steamer coming down the river. On this was Father 
DeSmet, who was on his way back to St. Louis, 
after having been among the Flathead Indians. He 
and several army officers, who were fellow passengers 



96 VISITORS TO THE POSTS 

with him, came on board ''The Omega" to greet Mr. 
Audubon. Father DeSmet was pecuharly able to 
tell him all about the country that he wanted to 
know. We can tell from Father DeSmet's letters 
that he was a man interested in all around him, and 
keenly appreciated all the natural wonders of the 
Upper Country. 

At Fort Union. — On the 31st of May, ''The 
Omega" reached Fort Pierre in South Dakota where 
they stayed for a few days, and, continuing their 
journey up the river arrived at Fort Union on the 
12th of June. Mr. Audubon found the master of the 
fort. Major Culbertson, "a companionable man, 
ready and willing at all times to add to the collec- 
tion of birds and animals." Mrs. Culbertson, too, 
he found, was "handsome, and really courteous and 
refined in many ways." This was rather surprising 
to the traveler, as she was a full-blooded Blackfoot 
Indian. She was the daughter of a chief and was 
very proud of her Indian blood. It was October 
before Mr. Audubon arrived in St. Louis again. Plis 
long journey had been a trying one, but in spite of 
his age we find no complaint in all the pages of his 
journal, except that occasionally he must give up 
some extra exertion on account of his years. 

4. Father DeSmet 

First missionary to Montana. — Father DeSmet, 
the first missionary to the Montana tribes, came out 
in 1840 to minister to the Flathead Indians. He 
came to the mountains by the land route with the 
fur traders who were bound for Green River. He 




o "^ 



GOV. ISAAC I. STEVENS 97 

returned by the way of the Yellowstone River and 
the Missouri but he did not stop to visit at the 
posts. 

Visits the Blackfeet. — In 1846 he went over 
the mountains into the Blackfoot country from the 
Bitter Root Valley to meet these Indians in order 
to bring about a peace between the tribes. He met 
them in the Yellowstone Valley and went with them 
to Fort Lewis (which was the new name for Fort 
McKenzie). He and a companion were at Fort Lewis 
for some time, holding councils with the Indians. 
After Father DeSmet went on to St. Louis he left 
Father Point at the post for the winter, who estab- 
lished a mission there. 

5. Gov. Isaac I. Stevens 

First governor of Montana. — Toward the close 
of the fur-trading days an important party of visi- 
tors came to Fort Union and Fort Benton. They 
were Governor Isaac I. Stevens, the newly appointed 
Governor of Washington Territory (which then in- 
cluded the western part of Montana) and a party 
of surveyors, who under the direction of the Gov- 
ernor were looking for the most practicable route 
for a railroad across the continent. 

The surveyors were in different parties, some of 
them going up the river to Fort Union by boat, and 
the others going overland from St. Paul and Fort 
Union, on mules, their baggage being carried by 
ox-teams. 

At Fort Union. — The traveling equipment of the 
surveyors was only sufficient to take them to Fort 



98 VISITORS TO THE POSTS 

Union, and while at this post they were occupied in 
outfitting themselves for their journey across the 
mountains. Pembina carts were made of cotton- 
wood logs, and other transportation was purchased 
of the fur company. From the company they also 
secured guides and hunters. As their investigations 
were to extend over the winter time they were glad 
to accept from the Indian women at the fort — wives 
of the traders — presents of gloves and moccasins 
and other comforts of early traveling days. 

Surveying near Fort Union. — While this work of 
outfitting was going on some of the men were en- 
gaged in surveying trips out from the post. They 
thoroughly explored the country to find out which 
would be the best route for a railroad. 

At Fort Benton. — After nine days spent at Fort 
Union they pushed on up the valley. When they 
arrived at Fort Benton, they examined voyageurs 
and Indians in regard to the mountain passes, and 
general character of the country, to find if it would 
be possible to cross the mountains in winter, for 
a railroad would be of little use if it was closed from 
traflBc in the winter time. In order to learn all 
about the situation '' winter posts were established 
at Fort Benton, and in the St. Marj^'s Valley (now 
known as the Bitter Root Valley"). 

On to Olympia. — The main party then continued 
their journey to Olympia, the capital of the new 
territory, Washington. They went over Cadotte's 
Pass which was about twelve miles south of the one 
taken by Lewis on the return of the Lewis and 
Clark expedition. At the summit of the divide 



GOV. ISAAC I. STEVENS 



99 



Governor Stevens took formal possession as Governor 
of his new field, for at that time the main divide of 
the Rocky Mountains formed the eastern boundary 
of Washington Territory. 

At Fort Benton again. — In 1855 Governor Stevens 
was back at Fort Benton. This time it was to hold 




Gov. Stevens Distributing Goods 

the council with the Montana tribes which we told 
of in the chapter about the Indians. 

A boy messenger. — In Governor Stevens's ''Life" 
we read the following: 

"My son Hazard, thirteen years of age, had ac- 
companied me from Olympia to the waters of the 
Missouri. Like all youths of that age, he was always 
ready for the saddle, and had spent some days with 
one of my hunting parties on the Judith, where he 
had become acquainted with the Gros Ventres. When 



100 VISITORS TO THE POSTS 

we determined to change the council from Fort Ben- 
ton to the mouth of the Judith, I undertook the 
duty of seeing the necessary messages sent to the 
various bands and tribes and to bring them all to 
the mouth of the Judith at the proper moment. . . . 
I succeeded in securing the services of a fit and 
reliable man for each one of the bands and tribes, 
except the Gros Ventres camped on Milk River. 
There were several men, who had considerable ex- 
perience among the Indians and in voyageuring, who 
desired to go, but I had no confidence in them, and 
accordingly I started my little son as a messenger to 
the Gros Ventres. Accompanied by the interpreter, 
Legare, he made that Gros Ventres camp before 
dark, a distance of seventy-five miles, and gave his 
message the same evening to the chiefs. . . . they 
were in the saddle early in the morning, and reached 
my camp at half past three. Thus a youth of thir- 
teen traveled one hundred and fifty measured miles 
from ten o'clock of one day to half past three o'clock 
of the next." 

6. The Books they Wrote 

Accounts of their travels. — What has made the 
visits of these famous men so important is that they 
have written such extensive accounts of their jour- 
neys. They have given us an idea of the conditions 
in those days that we could not otherwise have had. 
They have told us about little things that the trad- 
ers thought too trivial to set down in their journals. 

Prince Maximilian. — Upon his return to Europe 
Prince Maximilian published an account of his 



THE BOOKS THEY WROTE 101 

travels which is very extensive. It covers all sorts 
of subjects, the Indians and the animals, geology, 
plants, and description of the country, as well as 
interesting stories and bits of history. The great 
drawback is that it is published in German, and for 
that reason it is inaccessible to the general public. 
However, an abridged edition of it has been given 
us by Reuben G. Thwaites in his ''Early Western 
Travels." A copy of the original edition in German 
is one of the treasures in the library of Peter Koch 
of Bozeman. Chittenden says that Maximilian is 
the most reliable published authority upon the early 
history of the American Fur Company. 

Catlin's pictures. — We are told that in his great 
interest in everything pertaining to Indian life, 
George Catlin was prejudiced and his pictures were 
not always true to life. Chittenden says: ''It is 
regrettable that one who did so much work of real 
worth should have marred it by a characteristic 
which throws doubt upon the accuracy of it all." 
But in spite of the fact that so much is inaccurate, 
his work is still referred to by students of history of 
that time, for he gives pictures of a condition of life 
which has gone out of existence. 

Audubon's journals. — In the journals which were 
originally published, Audubon very briefly mentioned 
his journey to Fort Union, and little was known about 
it until 1896 when two of his granddaughters found a 
part of his journal that before was not known to exist. 
It was in the back of an old secretary. It gives a very 
full description of Fort Union, of the lives of the traders 
and of the conditions as they were in his day. 



102 VISITORS TO THE POSTS 

Father DeSmet's Journals and Indian sketches. — 
All the time that Father DeSmet was traveling about 
the West he was writing letters to his friends. He 
kept his journals too, so that now his works are in 
four or five large volumes. Maximihan and Audu- 
bon were more interested in animals and plant life, 
while Father DeSmet's special interest was the In- 
dians. He did not overlook anything, however, and 
we find his letters full of descriptions of the country, 
the animals, and flowers, as well as the Indian life. 
He has also written some Indian sketches that give 
an idea of the Indian's conception of Christianity. 

Report of the survey. — The United States Gov- 
ernment has made an extensive report of the survey 
in all its divisions. This is in thirteen large volumes. 
It gives the experiences with the Indian tribes, the 
finding of the trails and passes; descriptions of the 
animals and plants, and rivers and mountains, which 
they saw upon the way, and the posts of the fur 
traders. Three of these volumes are devoted to the 
47th parallel and the work of Governor Stevens. 

Governor Stevens. — The life of Governor Stevens 
has been compiled by his son Hazard from the Gov- 
ernor's letters and journals. This gives many inter- 
esting events not mentioned in the report. The 
outcome of the council of 1855 is especially interest- 
ing, giving the conversation of the chiefs and describing 
all the scenes of the council. 



PART V 
THE MISSIONARIES TO THE INDIANS 

1. The Iroquois 

One of the most interesting stories of Montana 
history is that which tells of the way the Jesuit 
Missionaries happened to go at first to the Montana 
Indians. 

The Iroquois. — This story begins as far back as 
1812 when a band of Iroquois Indians came to the 
Flathead country to trap for furs for the Hudson Bay 
Fur Company. The old Indians like to tell the story 
about how these Iroquois first watched the Flatheads 
from the neighboring hills, watched their everyday 
life, and saw how they lived, and decided to go 
down into their valley and make their home with 
these quiet, peaceable people. There w^ere not more 
than half a dozen in this band of trappers. Some of 
them were full-blooded Iroquois and the others were 
French half-breeds. They had been trained in the 
ways of civilization in their Canadian home and they 
tried to show the Flatheads how they could lead a 
more comfortable life. 

Stories told to the Flatheads. — One of the most 
interesting stories which the Iroquois told to the 
Flatheads was about the Black Robes who had gone 
to the Canadian Indians and taught them how to 



104 



MISSIONARIES TO THE INDIANS 



till the soil and gain a living which was more to be 
depended upon than the search for wild fruits and 
game. The Flatheads were a religious people in 
their own beliefs and they were impressed with the 



/ 



rj 




Permission of N. A. Forsyth, Butte 

Charlot. Chief of the Flatheads 

thought of the better life to be found in the belief 
of the white man as taught by the Black Robes. 
They wanted to know more about the Great Spirit 
and the Life which is to come. The Iroquois as a 
nation had not been friendly to the Black Robes, 
but a mere handful of their number who believed 



FLATHEAD DELEGATIONS TO ST. LOUIS 105 

the truth were able to carry the teachings of those 

missionaries far into the wilderness and make a 

beginning among new people which has been so 
wide-spreading in its influence. 

2. Flathead Delegations to St. Louis 

The first journey. — Many years passed and we 
can imagine the nights that were spent around the 
campfires when the Flatheads would listen so in- 
tently to the stories of the Iroquois half-breeds. At 
last the enthusiasm of the Flatheads was raised to 
such an extent that four young men volunteered to 
go to St. Louis to ask to have Black Robes sent 
to them. 

The Green River route. — It was in 1831 that 
they left their home in the Bitter Root Valley, 
going down, it is supposed through the Green River 
country to the Platte and then down the Missouri. 
There are conflicting stories told about the route 
but the best authorities say that it is supposed that 
they went in company with the traders who had 
their yearly rendezvous in the Green River Country 
and the headwaters of the Snake River. This sup- 
position is very natural because the Flatheads and 
Nez Perces attended these rendezvous and the In- 
dians arrived in St. Louis at the same time that the 
fur company's caravan did. Now, we can go to St. 
Louis in two days, but at that time the trip was a 
great undertaking; indeed, when the Iroquois first 
came to them, in 1812, it probably was more than 
any one would undertake, not so much because of 
the hardships but because of hostile tribes. After 



106 MISSIONARIES TO THE INDIANS 

fur traders began to operate extensively on the Mis- 
souri and its tributaries, there was more chance for 
a safe passage. 

In St. Louis. — On their arrival in St. Louis, owing 
to the change in food and the climate, they all fell 
ill, and two of them died. Some authorities say that 
they were feasted and made a great deal of while in 
St. Louis, and others say that they found no one 
who could speak their language and they went back 
to the mountains without having any one know 
who they were or how they came. We do know 
that they went to see Governor Clark of the Lewis 
and Clark Expedition and that Roman Catholic 
priests attended them when they were ill, and that 
the two who died were buried in the Catholic 
cemetery. They also impressed upon the minds of 
some what they desired, for the next spring mission- 
aries were sent out by the Methodists of St. Louis.- 

The way home. — It is not known by what route 
they started home — whichever way it was, they fell 
in with hostile tribes or were killed bj^ wild beasts, 
for they never reached the Flathead country. 

The Flatheads at the Green River. — In the mean- 
time the Flatheads were waiting anxiously the re- 
turn of their men. When the time of the rendezvous 
drew near they went down to the Green River to 
meet their long expected Black Robes. But no 
Jesuits had come and the Indians shook their heads 
in disappointment when they saw the Methodist 
missionaries and their wives. The Black Robes had 
no wives, so the Iroquois had said, and these men 
did not wear the black gowns. There was some mis- 



FLATHEAD DELEGATIONS TO ST. LOUIS 107 

take and as the four men who had been sent out had 
not yet returned it was known they must have met 
with some mortal danger. The Flatheads would 
accept no substitute for the Black Robes and they 
went back to their homes in disappointment, while 
the missionaries went on to Oregon and started their 
great missionary work there in which they were later 
joined by Marcus Whitman and Samuel Parker. 

Ignace Saxi. — The Flatheads did not despair; 
they sent other messengers. Ignace Saxi offered to 
go back to Canada, his old home. He knew hd 
could find priests there. He took his two sons 
Francis and Charles to be instructed and baptized. 
Before he had gone far he found that there were 
Jesuits in St. Louis, although he had thought that 
there could not be, because of their failure to respond 
to the first call. He accordingly changed his plans 
and went to St. Louis where he was told that men 
would be sent as soon as possible. Just at that time 
the Jesuits were not able to do any distant work 
because of lack of men. xAfter his sons had been 
suflBciently instructed, Ignace returned with them to 
the mountains to tell the Flatheads the results of 
the expedition. 

Ignace Saxi again. — After several months had 
passed and still no priests arrived, a third delegation 
was sent out headed by Ignace Saxi. There were 
three Flatheads and a Nez Perce in the party and 
they were joined at Fort Laramie by some of the 
Oregon Missionaries. At the Platte River the party 
fell in with a band of Sioux. A messenger was sent 
from the chief to Ignace to tell him that they were 



108 



MISSIONARIES TO THE INDIANS 



about to attack the Flatheads, but as they did not 
care to fight any but the Flatheads, he, being Iro- 
quois, would be given an opportunity to withdraw 
with the white men to a place of safety. Ignace 
replied that while he was by birth an Iroquois, the 
Flatheads were his adopted people and, if there was 
to be a battle he wanted to do his share of the fight- 




A Little Flathead 

ing. Another messenger was sent him just before 
the battle, who returned with the same answer. The 
Sioux greatly outnumbered the Flatheads. The latter 
were all killed, but not without a struggle. Ignace 
himself killed nine of the enemy before he died. 

A fourth delegation. — The courage and patience 
of the Flatheads was not to be overcome by even so 
great difficulties. A fourth expedition was planned. 
Two Iroquois, Left-handed Peter and Young Ignace, 



FATHER DESMET 109 

offered to go. They accompanied some Hudson Bay 
traders down to St. Louis where they were assured 
that a priest would be sent in the spring. One of 
the two stayed to guide the missionary to the moun- 
tains, while the other w^ent home to tell the glad 
tidings to his people. 

3. Father DeSmet 

A Black Robe at last. — A Jesuit, Father P. J. 
DeSmet, was the missionary chosen for the work. 
He set out in the spring of 1840. He went up the 
usual way to the Green River with the fur traders, 
where he met a few Flatheads who were to guide him 
to the camp of the Flatheads near Pierre's Hole. 
After he had talked with the Indians for a while, 
he knew that he alone could never teach them all 
they wanted to know. He decided to go back to 
St. Louis for helpers. 

Over to the Three Forks. — He went with the In- 
dians as far as the Three Forks of the Missouri. 
They were on their way back into their own territory. 
Their route lay over the mountains north of Pierre's 
Hole to Henry's Lake across to Red Rock Lake and 
down the Jefferson River to Jefferson Island, where 
they held a service, the first ever held in Montana. 
They continued on as far as the Three Forks of the 
Missouri where the time of the missionary was 
spent in baptizing the children and instructing the 
elders. 

Down the Yellowstone. — At the Three Forks the 
Father left them after a month's time, first giving 
them his word that he would soon return. He crossed 



no MISSIONARIES TO THE INDIANS 

over to the headwaters of the Yellowstone and went 
down that river with an escort of Flatheads and a 
Flemish man who had come with him from the ren- 
dezvous on the Green River. The Flatheads went 
as far as the Crow country with him, the rest of the 
way was made with the Flemish man alone. The 
Crowds were very hospitable to the party, the Father 
being at a loss to know how to attend all the ban- 
quets tendered him. He found these Indians also 
anxious to have the Black Robes in their villages, 
but he w^as unable to make them any promises. In 
his letters he describes the journey down to St. 
Louis and the many frights they had. It was a 
journey of great peril for two lone men to take, but 
the end was reached in safety four months after 
leaving the Flatheads. 

Father DeSmet returns. — In 1841 he returned 
with five companions, two of whom were priests and 
the others lay bl^others. The priests were Fathers 
Gregory Mengarini and Nicholas Point and the 
brothers were William Claessens, Charles Huet, and 
Joseph Specht. The first of these brothers was a 
blacksmith, the second a carpenter, and the third a 
tinner. They went up the river over the same 
route previously traversed by Father DeSmet to 
the Green River and met the Indians in the Beaver- 
head Valley, going with them from thence over into 
the Bitter Root, by way of the Deer Lodge and Hell 
Gate Valleys. Then began the work which has since 
continued for seventy-five years and which has estab- 
lished the Roman Catholic Church on every reser- 
vation in Montana. 



FATHER DESMET 



111 



Fort Colville. — Before going far with the work it 
was necessary for Father DeSmet to make a trip to 
Fort Colville on the Columbia River for more supplies 
and tools. He visited this post again the following 
spring (184^2) on his way to Fort Vancouver for addi- 
tional supplies. 




House Bolt by the Indians 



Back to St. Louis. — On his return he made ar- 
rangements for a trip to St. Louis leaving the work 
with Fathers Mengarini and Point. He took the 
same route down the Yellowstone through the Crow 
Country that he had taken before. Arriving at St. 
Louis he finished a journey of 5,000 miles. He wrote: 
''I had descended and ascended the dangerous Co- 
lumbia River. I had seen five of my companions 
perish in one of those life-destroying whirl-pools, so 



112 MISSIONARIES TO THE INDIANS 

justly dreaded by those who navigate that stream. 
I had traversed the Willamette, crossed the Rocky 
Mountains, passed through the country of the Black- 
feet, the desert of the Yellowstone, and descended 
the Missouri; and in all of these I had not received 
the slightest injury." 

Later visits. — Father DeSmet's work was not 
that of a resident priest, although his great desire 
had been to stay and minister to the Indians, but 
his services were so valuable as a messenger on im- 
portant errands that his time was continually taken 
up with the latter work. Everywhere he went he 
was recognized as the Indian's friend and was able 
to pass through the countries of even hostile tribes 
in safety. He visited the Mission in 1845 and again 
in 1859, giving them encouragement in their work 
but not being able to stay but a short time on each 
occasion. 

4. St. Mary's Mission 

In the Bitter Root Valley. — The first missionary 
station was established in the Bitter Root Valley. It 
was named St. Mary's Mission. The little town of 
Stevensville grew up around it after the settlement of 
the valley by the white men. The missionaries lived 
among the Indians at first — in their skin lodges — 
learned to eat the same food, and went with them 
on their hunting expeditions. Gradually they taught 
them the ways of civilization, how to build log cabins 
for the winter, how to prepare the white man's food, 
and how to dress in the white man's clothes. Each 
year they added to their farm lands, teaching the 



ST. MARY'S MISSION 



113 



Indians how to till the soil and harvest the crops. 
After a little they began to gather together some 
chickens and pigs, horses and cattle. They had 
flocks of sheep too. All this took a great deal of 
time, because the live stock had to be brought a 
great way. The larger stock was driven up from the 
Spanish settlement in the Southwest (gold had not 
yet been discovered in California) or over the moun- 




^Mtti 



The Mission of St. Ignatius 

tains from Fort Colville, on the Columbia, which 
was a Hudson Bay Company's fort. Their supply 
of tools, seeds, groceries, clothing, etc., were shipped 
from Europe to the mouth of the Columbia River 
and transported up that river. 

Father Ravalli. — In 1844 Father Ravalli went 
out to the Missions. He had just arrived in America. 
He spent the first winter with the Kalispells where 
Father Palladino says of him: ''Here he learned the 
wonderful secret of living without the necessaries of 
life." He spent the rest of his life in the Bitter Root 



114 MISSIONARIES TO THE INDIANS 

Valley, where he ministered at first to the Indians 
and in later years to the white men as well. He was 
the beloved friend of all men. His grave is in the 
little cemetery at St. Mary's in Stevensville and the 
county in which the land lies bears his name. The 
Montana people thus pay a small tribute to the 
man who gave his all to save the souls of his fellow 
men. 

The other pioneer priests, Fathers Mengarini and 
Point, were not long with the Flatheads. The former 
was transferred in 1850 to California, and the other 
in 1847 to Canada. Of the three lay brothers, Wil- 
liam Claessens and Joseph Specht lived the rest of 
their lives with the Flatheads. 

St. Mary's closed. — In 1850 it was found neces- 
sary to abandon the mission of St. Mary's because 
of the hostility of the Blackfeet. The buildings were 
sold to Major Owen, who built a fort near the site 
of the mission and traded with the Indians. 

Flatheads true to their faith. — When Father 
DeSmet visited the Flatheads in 1859 he found that 
they had kept up as far as possible the teachings of 
the missionaries, even after the close of the mission. 
The chiefs held morning and evening prayers. The 
Angelus was rung as usual, and they observed the 
sacredness of Sunday. 

The mission again occupied. — St. Mary's was 
again occupied by the Fathers from 1866 to 1891, 
during which time services were held and schools 
maintained. When the Flatheads at last went onto 
the Jocko Reservation to live, the mission was per- 
manently abandoned. The old church still stands in 



ST. IGNATIUS MISSION 115 

a good state of preservation, the citizens of Stevens- 
ville providing a caretaker for it. 

5. St. Ignatius Mission 

St. Ignatius Mission. — The mission of St. Igna- 
tius was originally in the Pend d'Oreille country, 
but it was later moved to the Jocko Reservation, 




"The House which was Built for them" 

where it is still in operation. Being in a secluded 
valley it was safe from the invasions of the Blackfeet. 
Life at the missions. — As the Indians grew more 
civilized, and as the younger men grew up, they 
were encouraged to have farms of their own. Vege- 
tables were extensively raised, especially carrots, of 
which the Indians were very fond. In the "Life 
of Governor I. I. Stevens" is the following account 
of the everyday life at the missions: 



116 



MISSIONARIES TO THE INDIANS 



''I was enabled to observe the manner in which 
the affairs of the mission are conducted. Brother 
Charles (Huet) has charge of the buildings and 
attends to the indoor work, cooks, makes butter and 
cheese, issues provisions and pays the Indians for 
their work, which payment is made in tickets bear- 
ing a certain value 'good for so many potatoes, and 




First House of the Missionaries 

so much wheat,' etc. By this arrangement the 
Indians are able to procure their subsistence in the 
summer by hunting and fishing and have tickets in 
store for living during the winter. They are well 
contented, and I was pleased to observe habits of 
industry growing upon them. In the barn we saw 
their operations of threshing: four boys rode as 
many mules abreast in a circle, being followed by 
two girls with flails, who appeared to be perfectly 
at home in their business. There appeared to be a 



BLACKFEET MISSIONS 117 

great scarcity of proper implements and in digging pota- 
toes many had nothing better than sharpened sticks." 
Sisters of the House of Providence. — In 1864 
four sisters of the House of Providence were sent out 
to the missions to assist in the education of the women 
and children. The house which was built for them to 
live in was of logs boarded on the outside, with the 
windows high up from the ground, a precaution 
against the curious eyes of the Indians. The Sisters 
found it a hard life; the journey in itself of several 
months duration was a hard and dangerous one. The 
Indians were much interested in them, many never 
having seen a white woman before. 

6. Blackfeet Missions 

Father Point. — The missionary work was not con- 
fined to the Flatheads although it was a number of 
years before any regular work was done among any 
of the other tribes. Father Point on his way to 
Canada in 1847 passed through the Blackfoot country, 
wintering at Fort Lewis, the principal post of the 
American Fur Company on the upper Missouri, and 
ministered to the Indians. During his few months 
stay with them he accomplished a great deal, visit- 
ing the different bands and spending with each sev- 
eral weeks. He was a skilful artist and won the 
hearts and the good-will of the chiefs by painting 
their portraits. Having translated by the help of an 
interpreter their prayers into the Blackfoot language 
he taught them to both the children and the adults. 
A volume of Indian drawings, apparently his work, 
is preserved in the University of St. Louis. 



118 MISSIONARIES TO THE INDIANS 

Mission built. — After the departure of Father 
Point there were no more missionaries among the 
Blackfeet until 1859, when Fathers Hoecken and 
Imoda were sent there. They found what they con- 
sidered a suitable site for a mission on the Teton 
River near the present town of Chouteau. The 
Blackfeet Were a restless, roving tribe and were con- 
stantly desiring the change of location. Soon after, 
it was reestablished, at Sun River, but the Fathers 
were shortly called away. Father Hoecken to the 
States and Father Imoda to the St. Ignatius Mission. 
The latter was returned the following year in com- 
pany with Father Giorda, and with instructions to 
establish a permanent mission which was to be known 
as St. Peter's. It was built in 1862 on Sun River 
near Fort Shaw. In 1866 it was closed because of 
troubles between the Blackfeet and the settlers. It 
was not reopened until 1874. 

Like their fellow laborers with the Flatheads, the 
Blackfeet missionaries followed their Indians from 
camp to camp. When the reservation was made 
smaller and the Indians were moved to the Northern 
part, a branch mission was built near the Agency, 
sixty miles from St. Peter's. 

7. Crow Missions 

Crows. — Although the Crows had expressed to 
Father DeSmet their desire to have missionaries in 
their villages, it was forty years before this request 
was granted. The first mission was built for them 
in 1887. These Indians to-day show the lack of 
civilizing influences. They followed the ways of 



I 



FATHER DESMET'S JOURNALS 



119 



their ancestors long after our other Montana tribes 
had adopted the white man's ways. 

8. Father DeSmet's Journals 

No more interesting journals are written than those 
of Father DeSmet. He not onlj^ gives interesting 
little happenings at the Missions and among the 
Indians he visited, but he tells about the fur traders, 
the ways of travel in those days, and described the 
country and the scener}\ To the student of Mon- 
tana history it is a most interesting and valuable 
work. 




Kindness of Montana Historical ^ 



Old Fort Bexton 



PART VI 
THE FIRST SETTLERS 

1. Western Emigration 

Gold in California. — The year 1849 was the great 
turning-point in Western History. In that year gold 
was discovered in great quantities in Cahfornia. 
Such an excitement as there was! Everybody who 
was free to go to the gold fields went, that is, if they 
were not afraid of Indians and were willing to go 
into a desolate land w^here few people lived. Here- 
tofore no one had cared anything about the West. 
They had thought it was a good place for the In- 
dians, and they were willing to let the fur traders 
have the whole country if they wanted it. But now 
it was different! Gold was scarce. No one ever had 
enough, and here it was to be had in California, and 
all one had to do was to go out and shake it out 
of the sand! Many men took their families along, 
and there was a stream of people travelling West- 
ward from St. Louis to the Pacific Ocean. 

The trail of the emigrant. — They did not take 
the Missouri River route, because that was too far 
north. They went instead over a road which had 
been found by explorers and fur traders to be much 
easier; up the Platte and across to the Mormon 
country in the Valley of the Great Salt Lake, then 



WESTERN EMIGRATION 



121 



across Nevada to the Sierras and down to the coast. 
This road was called the Great Salt Lake Trail. 
Father DeSmet said it was ''as smooth as a barn 
floor, swept by the winds. Not a blade of grass 
could shoot up on it on account of the continual 
passing." The Indians thought that every one must 
have left the East with such a stream of people com- 




Kindness of Montana Historical Society Library 

The Great Salt Lake Trail 

ing from the rising sun. They called the road ^^The 
Great Medicine Road of the ^Miites." 

Prospectors. — At first all the emigrants were 
bound for California, but many stopped before they 
reached there, sometimes because their oxen and 
other beasts of burden gave out and sometimes be- 
cause they came to a country which thej^ thought 
would make a good home. There were many men, 
who had no families with them, who liked the soli- 
tudes best. Some of these turned out of the beaten 
way, thinking to find an Eldorado of their own. 



n2 THE FIRST SETTLERS 

These last men called themselves prospectors, and 
in time they came to be as important a class as the 
fur traders themselves. They prospected all through 
the Rocky Mountains, in Colorado, in Utah, and in 
Idaho, and some went even as far north as Montana. 

2. Gold in Montana 

Earliest Montana prospectors. — Thus in the years 
from 1850 to 1860 a gradual change took place in 
the country where the fur trader and the Indian had 
before held undisputed sway. Occasionally the trap- 
pers would come upon the cabin of a prospector, and 
now and then a miner would come to the posts to 
get a stock of provisions. 

Silverthorne. — One of these, known as Silver- 
thorne, came one day in 1856 to Fort Benton. He 
had been successful in his search for gold and he had 
a quantity of gold dust which he wanted to exchange. 
The traders looked at it rather dubiously, remem- 
bering that ''all is not gold that glitters." They 
did not quite dare take the gold at the Companj^'s 
risk, but Major Culbertson at length took it as a 
private venture, giving the man one thousand dollars 
for it. Afterward he received $1,526 for it at St. 
Louis. This was one of the earliest exchanges of gold 
dust in Montana. 

Nels Kies. — Sometime afterward a man by the 
name of Nels Kies caused quite a little excitement 
among the men at the fort by telling them about his 
gold mines that he had discovered in the upper 
country. They were planning to go with him to find 
the location, but unfortunately the man was killed 



GOLD IN MONTANA 123 

by the Indians before the place was made known and 
it never was found. 

In 1852 a half-breed by the name of Frangois 
Finlay, commonly known as Benetsee, found gold 
on Gold Creek, a branch of the Hell Gate River, but 
not in paying quantities. This is the first exact 
location given for finding gold. 

Arrival of Governor Stevens. — AMiile this pros- 
pecting was going on Isaac I. Stevens was ap- 
pointed Governor of the new territory of Washington. 
The country which he was to care for was a part 
of the Oregon territory which had been for many 
years disputed ground between the United States and 
England. In 1846 the dispute had been settled and 
the 49th parallel had been agreed upon as a national 
boundary line between the two nations. Washing- 
ton Territory extended from the coast as far east 
as the main range of the Rockies, thus taking in the 
mountainous district of what is now Western Mon- 
tana. Governor Stevens at once started out for his new 
field, going up the Missouri River to Fort Benton. 
During his passage through Montana he was engaged 
in another work for the Government; that was the 
supervision of the northern division of a survey of 
the West to find the most practicable route for a rail- 
road across the continent. 

After leaving Fort Benton he ascended the 
mountains toward the summit of Cadotte's Pass, 
which is not far from Helena, and there on the 
24th of September, 1853, he issued a proclama- 
tion "declaring the civil territorial government 
extended and inaugurated over the new Territory 



124 THE FIRST SETTLERS 

of Washington." He then proceeded on to the 
coast. 

Council of 1855. — He returned to Fort Benton in 
1855, and held the council with the Indians which 
we told of in the chapter on the Indians. There is no 
doubt that the agreement, made at that time with the 
Montana tribes, had much to do with the security 
that the Montana settlers enjoyed in later years. 

James and Granville Stuart. — In 1857, two Cali- 
fornia prospectors started from California on a trip 
to the States. When on Malad Creek, which is 
near the old town of Corinne, Utah, Granville Stuart 
was taken ill with mountain fever and was unable 
to travel. The party was in a bad predicament, 
for the Mormons were in a state of revolt and were 
extremely hostile to the Gentiles (the name the Mor- 
mons gave to all who w^ere not Mormons). The 
Mormons, because of their unwillingness to respect 
the laws of the United States, had been driven from 
their original settlements in Missouri and had made a 
home for themselves in the Valley of the Great Salt 
Lake. As emigration moved westward and settlers 
came about them, once more they found themselves 
in trouble, and in order to quell their disturbances a^ 
company of soldiers was sent out under General! 
Jackson to bring them to subjection. In order toj 
defend his people, Brigham Young, the MormonI 
leader, declared the colony under martial law. Local| 
troops were organized and an edict was declarec 
that no supplies should be granted to any Gentile,| 
nor should they be allowed thoroughfare through the 
Mormon country. 



GOLD IN MONTANA 125 

The Stuarts and the men who were accompanying 
them were delayed here just as the Mormon troops 
were organizing, and they found themselves greatly 
puzzled as to the course to pursue. At length it 
was deemed advisable for most of the party to con- 
tinue on before the barricade was raised. This they 
did, leaving Reese Anderson with the Stuart broth- 
ers, to come on afterward as soon as the sick man 
recovered. But by the time this was accomplished 
matters had progressed until the travelers did not 
dare to go on. Just about this time a man by the 
name of Jacob Meeks happened along. He told the 
men of his intention of wintering on the Beaverhead, 
some 500 miles to the north, and asked them to go 
along with him, which they did. 

All through the winter, 1857-8, they stayed in the 
vicinity of the present Dillon, and were surprised at 
the mildness of the climate. They had no houses. 
They made for themselves teepees of buffalo robes, 
such as the Indians used. They found these re- 
markably warm. With furs on the ground and with 
the small fire in the center of the teepee, they kept 
as comfortable as though they were in a cabin. 
These teepees allowed for a four-foot space in the 
center for the fire, with the outside ring wide enough 
for the men to lie with their feet within about eigh- 
teen inches of the fire and their heads toward the 
outside of the teepee. 

Provisions scarce. — They had procured a limited 
amount of supplies from the Mormon post on Malad 
Creek, before their departure for the Beaverhead, 
but these had been given them in great secrecy, for 



126 THE FIRST SETTLERS 

as has before been stated, no provisions were to be 
sold to Gentiles at any of these posts, as the Mor- 
mons were afraid of thus harboring spies from Jack- 
son's army. Early in the spring their provisions grew 
low and they planned to go to Fort Bridger, in- 
tending to stay there until they could move on to 
the East. But, although there was no snow on the 
Beaverhead and had been very little all winter, they 
found it impossible to drive their horses through 
the Pass because of the deep snow there. They 
turned back to wait a more propitious time. 

News of a gold discovery. — During their wait, 
there came a man from the Deer Lodge Valley, a 
Captain Grant, father of John Grant, who was the 
first rancher in Deer Lodge ValleJ^ He told the 
men of Benetsee's discovery of gold about five years 
before near the Deer Lodge Valley on Gold Creek. 
The Stuarts and Anderson decided to put in their 
waiting time by prospecting around in that vicinity. 
They had been living on meat alone with no salt, 
bread or other food — ''meat straight," as it was called 
in those days. On their way over into the Deer 
Lodge Valley they saw some mountain sheep, which 
they shot and found them much more palatable 
than the lean game which they had been living upon. 

On Flint Creek. — On Flint Creek, not far from 
the present Drummond, they prospected under great 
difficulties, for their tools were very primitive: a 
broken shovel and an old pick which they found, and 
their bread pan (not needing it for bread any more 
since the flour was all gone). Here they prospected, 
but even the possibility of ten cents to the pan had 



SETTLERS IX MONTANA 127 

not the same charm to them when thej^ had no way 
to spend money. As soon as their supply of meat was 
exhausted they started again to Fort Bridger, know- 
ing that if they could not reach there they would 
have to begin killing their horses for food. In order 
to reach the Fort they had to cross four streams; 
the Big Hole, the Beaverhead, the Snake Rivers, 
and Camas Creek. These were all flooding their 
banks (it being the spring of the year) with rushing, 
tumultuous waters. Every time they attempted one 
of these streams, they hardly expected to reach the 
other side, especially the Snake, which was a full 
quarter of a mile wide. They arrived safely at the 
Fort after having just consumed their last piece of 
dried meat. There they stayed until late in the 
summer, having decided to go back and work the 
claim on Flint Creek, the prospect of a gold dis- 
covery being too good to desert. 

Back to Deer Lodge Valley. — Well provisioned 
and outfitted for the winter they went back over 
the same trail, easily fording all the streams which 
had before been so perilous. Their prospects turned 
out well. As soon as they saw how good the country 
^was, the Stuarts wrote to their brother, who was 
prospecting in Colorado, and he and a large party of 
his friends came up into the Deer Lodge Valley. 

3. Settlers ix Moxtaxa 

Tom Stuart and his party. — The coming of Tom 
Stuart and his party of friends was the real begin- 
ning of the settlement of Montana and the great 
turning point in the history of the State (1859). 



us THE FIRST SETTLERS 

Other emigrants. — People in the east were hear- 
ing of some rich claims having been found in the 
Salmon River Country, and many people turned to 
that part of the west to seek their fortunes. Two 
parties of emigrants who were bound for the Salmon 
River heard about the discoveries of James and 
Granville Stuart, and finding the way to their in- 
tended destination longer than they had expected 
and winter about to set in, they decided to go up 
where the Stuarts were and prospect there instead. 

Bannack. — About the time that these last emi- 
grants arrived in the Deer Lodge Valley rich claims 
were discovered on one of the Creeks of the Beaver- 
head, the Grasshopper, by a man named John White. 
This was in July of 1862. As soon as the find was 
made known all the prospectors went over there, and 
formed a settlement, which they named Bannack, 
after the tribe of Indians, who lived in that valley. 

Life in Bannack. — The fame of Bannack reached 
the Salmon River Country in the fall of 1862 and 
many people went from there over to the new settle- 
ment. Among them went a lot of rough people, 
gamblers and saloon-men and keepers of rough dance- 
halls. Soon Bannack was like all the other early 
western settlements, a rough town with more saloons 
and gambling houses than there were stores and 
homes. 

The people of Bannack were shut off from the 
rest of the world for months at a time. It was while 
the Civil War was in progress, and how much they 
all would like to have known what was going on at 
the front! N. P. Langford says in his ''Vigilante 



SETTLERS IN MONTANA 129 

Days and Ways": ''All the stirring battles of the 
season of 1862, — Antietam, Fredericksburg, and 
Second Bull Run, — all the exciting debates of 
Congress and the more exciting combats at sea, first 
became known to us on the arrival of the first news- 
papers and letters, in the spring of 1863." 

For nearly a year Bannack was the most important 
gold placer east of the Rockies, and then — Alder 
Gulch was discovered! 

Alder Gulch. — Many had not been successful in 
finding rich ground and the unsuccessful were out 
prospecting for better things. A party of six whd 
had come over from Idaho set out on an expedition 
into the Big Horn Country. They were Barney 
Hughes, Tom Cover, Henry Rodgers, Bill Fair-i 
weather, Henry Edgar, and Bill Sweeney. Therd 
had been another party under the leadership of James 
and Granville Stuart which had started out two days 
before, expecting to explore the Yellowstone Valley and 
find out its possibilities. This party the men from 
Idaho hoped to overtake, but they had gained too 
much headway, and very soon after reaching the 
Crow country the six men came upon a camp of 
Indians who showed such unfriendly feeling that 
they were obliged to turn back. Disheartened, they 
started to return to Bannack, and toward evening 
they camped upon a little stream then known as 
Alder Creek. Two of the men were delegated to 
get supper, while the others, to pass the time, sat 
down by the creek to pan out a little of the dirt. 
Soon there was a shout of joy from Bill Fairweather. 
He had found gold! All of the six men went to pan- 



130 



THE FIRST SETTLERS 



ning out gold and supper was forgotten. They sank 
a few feet and they were surprised at the richness of 
the sand. One of the pans had brought $5.10! At 
last they had found their Eldorado! It later proved 
to be the richest gold placer ever before discovered. 




An Old Prospector Panxixg Out Gold 

It was the bed of an ancient river, and several mil- 
lion dollars' worth of gold was taken from it. At the 
present day the gulch lies deserted looking as though 
it had been swept by a powerful cloudburst. 

Bannack hears the news. — In order to w^ork the 
claims they had to go to Bannack to procure a stock 
of supplies. They decided to tell a few of their 
friends, so that they too could share in the good for- 



SETTLERS Ds' MONTANA 131 

tune. Such wonderful news could not be kept a 
secret. It spread like wildfire and when the six 
men were ready to return to their prospect the whole 
town, was prepared to follow them. It was a strange 
procession: ''Every horse that could go was out — 
oxen that would carry a pack were cinched and 
packed . . . and miners afoot, with blankets on their 
backs, and coffee pots, frying-pans, picks, shovels hang- 
ing to them, brought up the rear of the stampede." 
(Quotation from a newspaper clipping in the posses- 
sion of the Historical Library in Helena.) Every one 
was in the best of spirits and as they moved along, 
the slogan was ''five dollars to the pan and shallow 
diggings." 

Virginia City. — In a few days many more people 
came and although there were no houses, there was 
the beginning of a good-sized town. People were 
living in tents, dug-outs and brush-huts until lumber 
and logs could be brought to build houses. The 
settlement was named Varina, after the wife of 
Jefferson Davis. In making out some oflScial papers 
in which it was necessary to write the name of the 
town, Dr. Bissell, who was drawing up the papers, 
disapproved of the name (he being a L^nion man) 
and wrote the name Virginia and it was allowed so 
to stand. 

Two towns in Montana. — Bannack was by no 
means deserted; there were people enough for two 
to\NTLS. The richness of its placers made Virginia 
City the larger settlement. Soon people in the East 
heard of the marvelous discoveries and then new 
people began coming to the two towns every day. 



132 THE FIRST SETTLERS 

How the prospectors came. — The early pros- 
pectors came by mules and ox-teams overland, and 
suffered many hardships, for there were few places 
to buy supplies if the original stock ran low. . The 
mules and oxen would become jaded if the journey 
was too long, or taken without suflBcient resting 
times. In every way it was a long weary trip. 
In the rush to get to the gold fields, the people in 
the east were looking for a quicker and safer way 
of getting to the mountains than by ox- teams. About 
the time of the discovery of gold the American Fur 
Company had found that it was possible to take their 
steamboats up as far as Fort Benton. Before 1859 
it had not been thought possible to go beyond Fort 
Union with these larger boats. There were two 
boats which made the voyage that year together. 
They brought only supplies for the fur trade. In 
1864 there were four steamers which reached there, 
and in 1865 eight. These brought many of the 
pioneers and their families, with their supplies. In 
1866 thirty-six came, and in 1867, thirty-nine. The 
number increased every year. This made Fort 
Benton a town instead of a fur-trading post. 

The trip from St. Louis to Fort Benton was no 
short way, taking from two to three months, accord- 
ing to the obstacles to be met. Occasionally an acci- 
dent would happen, or the boat go aground; then 
the passengers had to wait patiently for another boat 
to come and take them on, and perhaps in the mean- 
time they had to hunt game to keep themselves from 
going hungry. The pilot house on the boat was a 
favorite resort for the passengers, for during the quiet 



ROAD AGENTS AND VIGILANTES 133 

stretches of river the pilot would become storyteller 
and beguile the weary hours away. The voyages 
were not always quiet, — sometimes the travelers 
were in great danger from Indians. The Sioux, the 
same tribe that made the emigrant trail farther 
south so dangerous, were on the watch for river emi- 
grants. Many times the boats passed unmolested, 
finding traces of hostilities to those ahead and hear- 
ing afterward of unfortunates who were just behind. 

4. Road Agents and Vigilantes 

Road agents. — Those people who came up the 
river in the summer of 1863, expecting to find safety 
after arriving at the settlements, were sadly mis- 
taken for they found on arriving at the camps that 
the people were in a state of panic over a condition 
of affairs which before thej^ had never thought of. 
The stage coaches had been several times held up 
and robbed! In those days the currency throughout 
the community was gold dust. Everj^ business place 
had its gold weighing scales. The dust was sent 
east to the mint, usually by stage coach, either by 
way of Fort Benton or Corinne, Utah. ^Mien a 
large amount of treasure, as it was called, was to be 
sent out, the townspeople usually knew of it, and so 
it was not surprising that any desperate character 
would also hear of it. Soon after the first robbery a 
man was murdered and all his money taken. 

Who were the guilty ones? — ^ATio could have 
done it.^ Before this time there had been no thought 
of dishonesty, although other frontier towns had been 
troubled in that way. True, there were the rough 



134 



THE FIRST SETTLERS 



men of the town who spent all their time in the 
saloons and dance-halls and occasionally they would 
kill each other in a fight. But this was a different 




The Old Stage Coach 
Fort Benton to the settlements 

matter, for the people who led quiet lives were dl 
the victims. No one could tell who the guilty ^ 
ones were for there were no witnesses in the one 
case and in the other the robbers were heavily 
masked. 



ROAD AGENTS AND VIGILANTES 135 

Frequent occurrences. — Soon it happened again 
and again until the desperate deeds became a fre- 
quent occurrence. Never was a treasure known to 
be leaving town that the stage coach was not held 
up and many times passengers murdered. The citi- 
zens whispered together. No one dared speak his 
thoughts or speculations about the guilty ones 
aloud, for any such foolhardy one would be mur- 
dered the next time he ventured away from the 
settlement. They knew that they were at the mercy 
of a band of road agents. 

Road agents in Bannack. — Affairs were as bad in 
Bannack as they were in Virginia. In fact, the con- 
dition there was fearful. The road agents in Ban- 
nack were known to be an organized band but they 
did their work so secretly that no one could tell who 
the criminals were. The people knew not whom to 
trust, no laws could be enforced. All fortunate 
miners, merchants and gamblers were marked as 
victims for future crimes. The roughs became very 
bold, sometimes committing crimes in public and 
asking for credit with the aid of a cocked revolver, 
and the life of any one was threatened who dared 
ask for payment. ''People walked the streets in 
fear." 

A miners' court. — In a few cases, where the 
guilty ones were discovered, they were tried by a 
miners' court, which was the method they used for 
keeping the rough element in order, before the terri- 
torial laws were enforced. In these trials, at the 
conclusion of the evidence, the guilt or innocence of 
the prisoner would be decided by a vote of all the 



136 THE FIRST SETTLERS 

miners present. In such a court a guilty man seldom 
escaped punishment. A trial by jury was always pre- 
ferred by the rough element, as it gave the friends 
of the prisoner an opportunity to avenge the death 
of their comrade, in case he was found guilty. 
At this time any juryman who dared decide against 
the prisoner was threatened with his life. During 
one trial, the roughs became so angry that they 
determined to shoot every man who had taken 
part in the trial. They succeeded so well in their 
intention "that within five months after the trial 
not more than seven of the twenty-seven who par- 
ticipated in it as judge, prosecutor, sheriff, witnesses 
and jurors, were left alive in the Territory. Eight 
or nine are known to have been killed by some of 
the band, and others fled to avoid a like fate." 

A new sheriff. — As the fear of the desperadoes 
increased, many of the citizens prepared to leave 
town. They all thought the roughs outnumbered 
the honest men, and felt that resistance would be 
useless. One of the men who left in fear of the 
road agents was the sheriff, Crawford. An election 
was held to fill his office, and Henry Plummer was 
elected to the position. He was thought to be a 
good man and he seemed to have confidence that 
he would be able to bring the guilty ones to justice. 
Although he was respected by the good citizens and 
was often in their homes, still he had several friends 
among the roughs. These, he told his electors, he 
thought would be able to help him in the search for 
criminals, and it was arranged that they should act as 
deputies in case a posse should be needed at any time. 



ROAD AGENTS AND VIGILANTES 137 

Henry Plummer. — Now Henry Plummer was in 
reality the leader of the band of outlaws. As sheriff 
all the positions under him were held by members of 
this band, and as these were the positions that would 
be most dangerous to them if held by others, their 
safety was assured and crime was increased to an 
alarming extent. 

A vigilante committee. — During this time of 
plunder and violence the best citizens were con- 
stantly but quietly pondering the question of how to 
bring to the community law and order more 
speedily. They dared not call a meeting of the citizens, 
for some of the outlaws would be sure to be there. 
\ATiile things were in this state, a man named 
William H. Bell died of mountain fever. He re- 
quested that he should have a Masonic burial. His 
friends feared that there were not enough Masons in 
the camp to perform the ceremony, but when the 
men gathered at the appointed place, there were so 
many that it was necessary to move to a larger 
room. This meeting was so satisfactory that a lodge 
was formed, and at a secret session was planned the 
formation of a vigilante committee which was to 
clear the territory of the noted band of robbers and 
murderers. Plummer suspected the motives of the 
Masons and made several attempts to join the order, 
but admittance was refused him. 

Plummer' s claim. — About this time a report 
went about that the sheriff and some of his deputies 
had found a silver ledge out in the hills and some of 
Hummer's friends decided to watch him, so that 
they too perhaps could gain a good claim. Colonel 



138 THE FIRST SETTLERS 

Wilbur F. Sanders heard it and went to him, saying: 
"Plummer, I hear you have a good thing out here 
in the hills. Now I would like to get in on it. 
Let me go with you when you go." This was no 
presumption on Colonel Sanders's part, as he was a 
friend to Plummer; the latter had often been enter- 
tained at his home and it is said that a more gentle- 
manly and agreeable man than Plummer could not 
be found in the country. But Plummer denied that 
the rumor had any foundation. As he was even then 
making preparations to go out of town, Sanders was 
suspicious that he was going to the claim. The 
truth of the matter was that Plummer and his men 
were preparing to make a raid upon the stage coach, 
which was supposed to have upon it a large amount 
of treasure which was being shipped by N. P. Lang- 
ford and some other men. The road agents were 
doomed to be disappointed this time, for the fortur 
nate possessors of this large amount of money had 
had it sent by freight a day or two before, while 
giving out that it was to go by stage coach. 

Sanders follows. — Sanders replied to Plummer's 
denial: ''Now, Plummer, there is no need for you 
to deny it, for it must be so. Now if you won't tell 
me truly I am going to follow you." Plummer re- 
monstrated with him and said that he had never 
heard of such a thing, but if it turned out that 
any of the others had, he would divide his share 
with Sanders afterwards or give him part of the claim. 
Colonel Sanders, however, thinking it over, decided 
that that would hardly be fair to the others, and 
soon after Plummer had started Sanders followed. 



ROAD AGENTS AND VIGILANTES 139 

Plummer had said that they were going to Rattle- 
snake Ranch for the night, so it was there that 
Colonel Sanders headed his horse. It was not 
hard to find the track of the men, for the snow was 
on the ground, but when he reached the top of the 
hill he was nonplused to find that they had turned 
in the opposite direction from the ranch. 

Rattlesnake Ranch. — As night was coming on, 
Colonel Sanders decided to go to the ranch, at any 
rate, and perhaps he could find out their whereabouts 
so that he could follow them in the morning. He 
was met at the door by the landlord and ushered into 
a good-sized room with a bar at one side and all 
around the room on the fioor were bed ticks filled full 
with straw. He was given one of these for the night 
and when he found that the landlord could give him 
no clue to Plummer's whereabouts, he spread his 
blanket on the tick and went to bed. Along in the 
night a knock was heard at the door; the landlord 
took down his gun from the wall, went to the 
door and cautiously opening it admitted a man 
whom Colonel Sanders at once recognized as one of 
Plummer's band. He raised up and said to the man: 
"Hello! ^Miere is Plummer.^" The man, who was 
intoxicated, started to curse Colonel Sanders, and 
drawing out a gun, leveled it straight at him. San- 
ders dodged, and gaining possession of his own gun, 
prepared to defend himself. The man putting away 
his pistol, bared his chest and said: "Well, shoot me." 
Sanders answered: "I do not want to shoot you, 
but if there is to be any shooting, I am going to do 
my share of it." Here the landlord interfered and 



140 THE FIRST SETTLERS 

sought to quiet the drunken man, who suddenly be- 
came very friendly and invited Sanders to have a 
drink. All became quiet; the drunken man, too, 
found a tick for his blankets, and soon both were 
asleep. Through the night the whole band came in, 
one by one, and went to bed. 

Henry Tilden makes a discovery. — In the mean- 
time other things had been happening. Henry Til- 
den, a young man in the employment of Governor 
Edgerton, had been sent out to a neighboring field to 
hunt up some horses. While out, he was held up by 
a party of men whom he, of course, knew must be 
the road agents. They all wore black masks and as 
they were going through the young man's pockets, a 
slight breeze blew up the mask of one of the men 
and his features were exposed to Tilden. WTiat was 
his surprise to recognize in them those of Henry 
Plummer! He was allowed to go on his way with a 
scolding for not having any money about him. When 
he told his story on his return to town, he said: 
^'Governor Edgerton, I saw Henry Plummer in that 
band." The Governor exclaimed: ''Nonsense! You 
are mistaken! Of course it was not Plummer." 
Tilden calmly answered: ''If it is possible for one 
man to know another by his features, then it was 
Henry Plummer. I know that I am not mistaken!" 
Alarm was then immediately felt for the safety of 
Colonel Sanders. A messenger was sent to the 
Rattlesnake Ranch, and in order to get him away 
without arousing the suspicions of Plummer's men, 
who were known to be there, word was given to 
Sanders that his wife was very ill and that he must 



ROAD AGENTS AND VIGILANTES 141 

come home at once. Safely home, he was told the 
alarming truth, and from that time no effort was 
spared to collect evidence of the guilt of these men 
and bring them to justice. 

Vigilantes collect evidence. — They hesitated about 
taking immediate steps, as the outlaws were supposed 
to greatly outnumber the better citizens, and it was 
necessary to know who all the criminals were and 
bring them all at once speedily to justice, that none 
might be left to avenge the deaths of their comrades. 
The evidence collected, they were waiting the oppor- 
tunity to bring it into effect when the murder of 
Nicholas Thibault, a young man of Virginia City, 
precipitated a crisis. 

Nicholas Thibault. — Thibault had been given a 
sum of money to take to a neighboring ranch to 
buy mules. On the way he was overtaken, robbed 
and murdered. As the days went by and he did not 
return, his employers concluded that he had left the 
country with their money. They found the true 
story after a few days. A man was out hunting 
grouse when one fell in a clump of sage-brush. When 
he went to pick it up, he found it lying on the 
breast of a dead man. There was a bullet in the 
unfortunate man's head and his body showed signs 
of having been dragged. The hunter went to a 
teepee near the spot, occupied by Long John, one of 
Plummer's men, and asked assistance to carry the 
body to Nevada City, in the gulch near Virginia 
City, for identification. Long John was so unwilling 
to have anything to do with it that the man became 
suspicious that he knew something of the murder. 



142 THE FIRST SETTLERS 

The hunter then, unaided, hfted the body into his 
wagon, drove to Nevada City, and reported the 
matter. 

Vigilantes proceed. — Hearing of it, the vigilantes 
went on horseback to the teepee of Long John and 
took him to the scene of the murder, leaving a large 
force to guard the men who had been with him. 
When he found that the vigilantes w^ere bent on 
justice. Long John confessed his knowledge of the 
murder, telling that it had been done by George 
Ives, a man know^n to the vigilantes as a road 
agent and a thoroughly bad man. He was one of 
those who were then guarded in Long John's teepee 
and it took but a short time to return and put him 
under arrest. They took Ives, Long John, and those 
they suspected as accomplices to Nevada Citj% Ives 
nearly escaped on the way, pretending to run a race 
with the men. His horse w^as fleet but tired from a 
hard trip, while those of the vigilantes were fresh, 
or otherwise he might have slipped out of their hands. 
After this episode, a strict w^atch was kept on the 
prisoners, even after they were in jail and heavily 
chained. 

The firct hanging. — In the trial. Long John's 
testimony was most valuable, and the evidence was 
so strong that the jury brought in a verdict of guilty, 
one man alone voting for acquittal. The murderer 
was promptly hung, much to the dismay of his 
friends, who had supposed that the people were 
afraid to expose themselves to such danger, and 
indeed such would have been the case, but for the 
bravery of Colonel Sanders, who was the prosecuting 



ROAD AGENTS AND VIGILANTES 143 

attorney and who took the lead in carrying out the 
prisoner's sentence. 

Plummer arrested. — After the trial of Ives, the 
vigilantes continued their work with vigor, meanwhile 
sending word to the citizens of Bannack of the for- 
mation of the Vigilante Committee at Virginia City 
and Nevada City and urging them to form a similar 
one at Bannack. Plummer was at the time in Ban- 
nack and when he suspected that a committee was 
forming he made arrangements to quietly leave town, 
but they were too quick for him. They went at 
once to his cabin and ordered him under arrest. He 
was washing himself and when informed that he was 
wanted he manifested great unconcern and proceeded 
quietly with his washing. "I will be with you in a 
moment, ready to go wherever you wish," he said 
to the leader of the men. Tossing down the towel 
and smoothing his shirt sleeves, he advanced toward 
a chair on which his coat was lying, carelessly re- 
marking that he would be ready as soon as he could 
put on his coat. One of the men, discovering the 
muzzle of his pistol protruding beneath the coat, 
stepped quickly forward, saying as he did so: ''I will 
hand you your coat." At the same moment he se- 
cured the pistol, which act was observed by Plummer, 
who turned deathly pale, but still maintained suffi- 
cient composure to converse in his usual calm, meas- 
ured tone. Langford says: ''The fortunate discovery 
of the pistol defeated the desperate measures which 
a desperate man would have employed to save his 
life. He was so expert with the pistol that he would 
doubtless have slain some if not all of his captors." 



144 THE FIRST SETTLERS 

Plummer hung. — Two of the roughs, Buck Stin- 
son and Ned Ray, were arrested just before Plummer, 
and the three prisoners were marched to the gallows, 
Plummer begging hard for his life. They found it 
no easy matter to hang him. ''Stinson and Ray 
were common villains; but Plummer, steeped as he 
was in infamy, was a man of intellect, polished, ge- 
nial, affable. There was something terrible in the idea 
of hanging such a man." His own family had never 
suspected that his life was that of a criminal; even 
his wife had no knowledge of it. 

Five hung. — After the execution of Plummer at Ban- 
nack, the rough element at Virginia City made prepa- 
rations to leave the country, but the vigilantes were 
too strong for them. The people of Virginia were 
surprised, one day, to find their town surrounded by 
a strong guard of vigilantes. One of the roughs 
escaped the guards by crawling through a drain. 
Five who remained were arrested and hung without 
delay. 

Evidence of **Red." — One of the five was known 
by the name of ''Red." His real name was Erastus 
Yager. Before his execution he gave full information 
concerning Plummer's band, of which there were 
twenty-four men in all. Several escaped after Red 
turned state's evidence, but these the vigilantes deter- 
mined to hunt down. 

In pursuit of the others. — A party of over twenty 
men started toward the Bitter Root Valley, as it was 
supposed that the robbers would go that way into 
Idaho. At the Big Hole they captured one man and 
hung him at once. Two men were arrested at Deer 



ROAD AGENTS AND VIGILANTES 



145 



Lodge; one was hung and the other hberated for 
lack of evidence. He lost no time in leaving the 
country. At Hell Gate, now a deserted town, situ- 
ated near Missoula, three men were arrested, and three 
more in the Bitter Root, and all w^ere summarily hung. 




"Robber's Roost," A Road Agents' Resort 

The last of the road agents. — By this time, only one 
man remained unpunished, and as he was heard to be 
in Gallatin Valley the vigilantes returned to Virginia 
City and a party from there was sent in pursuit of 
him. He was found in a cabin about twenty miles 
from the Gallatin. "The death of Hunter marked 
the bloody close of the reign of Plummer's band. 
He was the last of that terrible organization to fall a 
victim to vigilante justice." Those hung in Virginia 
were buried in the cemetery there, where their graves 



146 THE FIRST SETTLERS 

are still to be found. They were buried in a semi- 
circle, with a small granite boulder at the head of 
each otherwise unmarked grave. 

5. Montana Made a Territory 

Civil officers, — It must be understood that all the 
activities of the vigilantes occurred from December, 
1863, to February, 1864, before there were any terri- 
torial laws. Montana was not made a separate terri- 
tory until May, 1864, and it was autumn before any 
of the executive and judicial officers were appointed. 
The vigilantes had continued their watchfulness over 
the safety of the people, but there had been very 
little crime to punish. Many of the citizens were so 
well satisfied with the vigilante code that they re- 
luctantly welcomed the civil officers, declaring they 
needed no better law for their protection than they 
already had. But they readily conformed to the 
laws, and the vigilantes' rule gradually disappeared. 

New interests. — When the settlers felt safe from 
crime they began to take an interest in other affairs. 
There were many subjects to be discussed, such as 
''the creation of the new Territory of Montana, the 
establishment of Government mails (Julj^ 1st, 1864), 
with its consequent regular stage transportation from 
Salt Lake City, the installation of Government offi- 
cers, the election and action of our first Legislative 
Assembly, the construction of a telegraph line, the 
permission of the Government to have newspapers 
transmitted in the mails, the building of the Union 
Pacific Railroad. These were," in the words of the 
Honorable W. F. Sanders, ''events in which w^e took 



MONTANA MADE A TERRITORY 147 

a profound interest and which deeply affected the 
material and social interests of these communities." 

Montana a territory. — Montana had been a part 
of Idaho since March, 1861. In 1864 a bill was 
introduced into Congress by J. M. Ashley (who was 
then on the territorial Committee, and was after- 
ward one of the Governors of Montana), which asked 
for the creation of a territory named Montana. 
After the boundaries were discussed some one asked 
him where he had found the name Montana, and he 
answered that it was a Latin name meaning moun- 
tainous. The name was adopted and the bill was 
passed on the 22nd of May, 1864. Bannack was 
made the capital of the new territory, the courts 
organized October 20th, and the first legislature con- 
vened December 12th of the same year. 

Governor Edgerton. — The first governor of the 
territory was Sidney Edgerton, who had been living 
in Bannack while it was still in Idaho Territory. He 
had been the judge of the Idaho courts. The gov- 
ernor was appointed by the President of the United 
States and the appointment had to be approved by 
Congress, as also had the other territorial officers. 
As soon as all these officers arrived at Bannack, the 
first session of the legislature was held. 

First legislative assembly. — The first act of this 
assembly was the forming of laws which applied to 
the local needs, such as the necessary procedure in 
filing mining claims, etc.; public schools were con- 
sidered; it was made unlawful to carry concealed 
weapons; and the Historical Society of Montana 
was incorporated. 



148 THE FIRST SETTLERS 

Counties made. — Another important point settled 
was the dividing of the territory into counties. This 
had been done before while it was yet Idaho, and 
very few changes were made. The counties formed 
by the first legislature were Missoula, Deer Lodge, 
Beaverhead, Madison, Jefferson, Chouteau, Dawson, 
Big Horn, and Edgerton. The names of the last 
two were changed by later legislative assemblies, 
Big Horn being changed to Custer, and Edgerton to 
Lewis and Clark. It is an utter impossibility to trace 
the boundaries of the first counties accurately because 
those who determined the boundaries knew so little 
about the country themselves, for no surveys had 
yet been made. ''It is very difficult to trace the 
boundary lines of a country which are described as 
commencing at a point where a certain degree of 
longitude intersects a certain river when the two do 
not intersect by a hundred miles or so." This was 
not a matter of much importance at that time be- 
cause there were not many people in the territory, 
but when the population became larger, it became 
necessary for people to know under what county 
government they were living, that they might know 
to which county to pay their taxes and for what set 
of county officers to vote. In 1867 the boundaries / 
were made more exact by having them follow rivers 
and mountains instead of lines of latitude and lon- 
gitude. 

Montana Historical Society. — The founding of 
the Historical Society was an important act of this 
first assembly. To this Society was confided the 
trust ''of accumulating information illustrative of the 



MONTANA MADE A TERRITORY 



149 



early history of the region of country embraced in 
what is now the Territory of Montana." For many 
years ''the trust seemed a barren and thankless one, 
for ... so Httle information could be gleaned." ''It 
sought to gather from this barren field such informa- 




A Mud Wagon 

tion as books could afford, and to acquire from the 
adventurers and early pioneers whatever of interest 
their memories had preserved." 

People settle down to quiet life. — Peace being es- 
tablished and the territory under its own government 
the people of Bannack and Virginia City settled 
down to their former life. Many men w^ho had been 
successful in their mining or in mercantile pursuits 



150 THE FIRST SETTLERS 

sent for their families, and Virginia and Bannack 
became settled towns. 

6. Later Discoveries 

Last Chance Gulch. — When people on the out- 
side began to hear of the wonderful richness of Alder 
Gulch there was a great stream of emigration into 
the camp. Virginia could not find claims for all 
these people and so many started out to find new 
placers. One party, under the leadership of John 
Cowan, found the placers at Helena. This they called 
Last Chance Gulch because they had been prospect- 
ing all through the spring with very little success 
and when they came to this spot, they considered jt 
their "last chance" of finding gold that season. They 
had started for the Kootenais country but had turned 
back when they heard that the prospects in that sec- 
tion were not good. Then they tried their luck on 
the Little Blackfoot, and when that failed they 
crossed over to the east side of the range and pros- 
pected at Last Chance. Their bad luck was over. 
On July 15, 1864, they found an abundance of gold. 
As they were making their first clean-up, two other 
men came to the spot in looking for game. They 
were home-seekers who had their families with them. 
They settled immediately and an emigrant train 
from Minnesota, camping near the place, hearing of 
the discoveries, stopped to prospect. This was the 
beginning of Helena, now the capital of the state. 

Helena. — There was the usual rush of miners and 
adventurers to the place and a little town grew up. 
Constance and Jurgens w^ere the first to open a store. 



LATER DISCOVERIES 151 

They had been hving at Montana City, a stage sta- 
tion on the road from Fort Benton to the mines. It 
was then quite a settlement, but now nothing is left 
to mark the place but a Great Northern station. At a 
public meeting called for the purpose, the new town 
was named Helena by John Somerville, after his 
former town in Minnesota. Several wanted the name 
Tomah, but Helena received the most votes. Water 
being more convenient in the gulch, the town was 
built there and the location was not afterward 
changed. In July of the next year, 1865, a large 
nugget was found on the claim of Maxwell, Rollins 
& Company, No. 5. It was entirely free from quartz 
and was worth $2,073. 

Confederate Gulch. — In the winter of 1864-5, a 
new placer field was discovered about thirty-five 
miles from Helena. This was at Confederate Gulch 
(in Meagher County). These placers were much 
richer than Alder Gulch, although not nearly so ex- 
tensive. It was a very hard gulch to work because 
of the great depth of bed-rock, the amount of water, 
and the immense boulders that had to be encoun- 
tered in the running of drains. Perhaps this will all 
be clearer if we give here a description of the manner 
of working a placer mine as told to some New York 
people in 1866, by H. L. Hosmer at that time Chief 
Justice of Montana: 

A placer mine. — "Gold was not found, even in the 
rich districts 'lying around loose' as is generally sup- 
posed. The ordinary mode of working a gulch is to 
sink a shaft to what in mining parlance is known as 
bedrock, which is nothing more than the solid clay 



152 THE FIRST SETTLERS 

underlying the soil of the gulch. Gold, by its supe- 
rior weight, finds its way to that bed-rock. If none 
is found there, the presumption that there is none 
there is acted upon by the miner, who renews the 
search elsewhere. Frequently these shafts are sunk 
to the depth of sixty feet, without success; and 
often, when the metal is found, drain ditches of miles 
in extent must be excavated before it can be ob- 
tained. The 'pay dirt' is carefully scraped from the 
bed-rock and thrown into a sluice-box, which is a 
trough of boards of indefinite length, through which 
a constant stream of water passes. The water re- 
leases the gold from the soil, and it settles upon the 
cleats fastened to the bottom of the sluice, or is 
taken up by the quicksilver which has been placed 
there. Sometimes this sluicing process is carried on 
for several days without cleaning up, and hundreds of 
dollars are taken from the boxes at a cleaning. The 
quicksilver is relieved of its burden in various ways 
— the most common in Montana mining being to 
strain it through buck-skin, which leaves the resid- 
uum nearly pure." 

The fame of Confederate Gulch died out with the 
working out of its placers and attention was given 
to other fields. 

Silver Bow Creek. — About the time that Last 
Chance was discovered, men were prospecting on 
Silver Bow Creek, near the present Butte. Silver 
Bow was the original town, the same prospectors 
pushing up the creek, trying first Rocker and then 
Butte, the first gold being found between the old 
town of Silver Bow and Silver Bow Junction. The 



LATER DISCOVERIES 153 

discoverers were Frank Ruff, Bud Parker, Pete 
McMalion, and three others. The locahty was on 
the Creek, just at its bend about half-way between 
the two settlements. 

Butte. — There had been some quartz prospecting 
done at Butte that spring, but it was not until fall 
that the first placer claims were found by a man 
named Snyder. It was in the vicinity of iVrizona 
Street, south of Park, that he did his first work. He 
built his sluice-boxes down at the Creek, and, as the 
dirt was rich enough to warrant the labor, hauled it 
to the Creek for washing. W. L. Farlin sold him the 
lumber to make the sluice-boxes. 

Ditches. — Ditches were brought in later, which 
were convenient to some of the claims. The first 
of these ditches was dug by some Frenchmen, who 
sold out to Humphreys, Allison, and others. This 
ditch came around the hill from Meaderville, near 
where the Old Silver Bow Mill used to stand. In 
1866, John Xoyes and David X. Upton brought in a 
ditch at a cost of $20,000, but that seemed not such 
a large sum in those days, and water was a paying 
investment at that time, the miners being glad to 
get it at from fifty cents to a dollar an inch for ten 
hours' use. The gulch was taken up for six or seven 
miles. It was an easy one to work, being only eight 
or ten feet to bed-rock; and about five feet of the 
dirt paid for running through the sluices. 

The Old Butte. — The surroundings were very 
attractive in those days. The bunch grass was knee 
high on the fiat, and upon and around Anaconda 
Hill were tall trees and good pasture land. There was 



154- THE FIRST SETTLERS 

a stream flowing down through DubHn Gulch and 
here the first cabins were built, near where is now 
the crossing of Anaconda Road. Others were built 
near, but when, a few years later, prospects showed 
that the camp would probably be a permanent one, 
the town site was changed, with post ofiice near the 
corner of Main and Broadway. The placers held 
out for five years, producing in the neighborhood of 
eight million dollars; then a dry season disheartened 
the settlers, those who had not faith in the quartz 
mines looked out for new fields, and Butte's placer 
days were over. Indeed the placer days of all 
the towns around were over practically, and the 
people began to look about for some more per- 
manent if not so lucrative an industry. 

Pioneers. — As the West grew and railroads were 
being built, the hardships of travel were in a way 
over. Those who came out to the mines partly by 
rail and finished the journey by stage coach came 
in comparative comfort. They felt that they were 
pioneers, too, for they had left their homes and 
many comforts and had had to do without so much 
that before had seemed essential. Their lives, truly, 
were brave and steadfast, but those who had come 
out before them were the real pioneers. These latter 
had proved that the undertaking was a feasible one, 
that the land was suitable for a home, and that a 
man could make a profitable living for his family. 
Like the missionaries who came out to the Indians 
before gold was ever thought of: ''they had to learn 
to live without the necessities of life." But now 
that was all over, and while they had endured much 



i 



BOOKS WRITTEN BY PIONEERS 155 

privation many of them in those hard days had 
gained great wealth, and all of them could enjoy the 
settled conditions and the fact that their homes were 
permanent ones, and their territory a land which 
promised to flow with milk and honey. 

7. Books Written by Pioneers 

Thomas J. Dimsdale. — The first book published 
in Montana was a history of the struggle of the 
settlers with the road agents. It was written by 
Thomas J. Dimsdale and entitled ''The Vigilantes of 
Montana." The title further described it as ''Being 
a correct and impartial narrative of the chase, trial, 
capture, and execution of Henry Plummer's Road 
Agent Band, together with the accounts of the lives 
and crimes of many of the robbers and desperadoes, 
the whole being interspersed with sketches of life 
in the mining camps of the far West." This very 
aptly gives the contents of the book. The times 
described were indeed days of terror, and his account 
is full of stirring events and blood-curdling deeds. 
Mr. Dimsdale was the first school teacher in Vir- 
ginia and although not a citizen at the time he so 
graphically described, received his information from 
N. P. Langford and published it as a series of articles 
in the "Montana Post," the first Montana newspaper. 

Nathaniel P. Langford. — Mr. Langford, in 1893, 
published a much fuller account, under the title of 
"Vigilante Days and Ways," telling of the sway of 
the road agents in the mining towns of Idaho, as 
they one by one moved to the new camps of Mon- 
tana. (Our account is taken from these two works, 



156 THE FIRST SETTLERS 

with some additional information from Miss Sarepta 
Sanders, a sister of Colonel Wilbur F. Sanders.) 

Granville Stuart. — In 1864 Granville Stuart wrote 
a short book entitled ''Montana as it is," which is a 
very good description of life as it was in the early 
days. 

Contributions to the Montana Historical Society. — 
In the Publications of the Historical Society we have 
many interesting sketches written by pioneers, and 
many more manuscripts remain to be published. 

The ^'Montana Post." — The first paper published in 
Montana was the ''Montana Post" in Virginia Cit3\ 
The first issue came out in 1865. Mam^ interesting 
bits of history are to be found in the old files. 

Journals in preparation. — Granville Stuart is pre- 
paring for publication the journals that he kept 
during his pioneering daj^s. AYhen this is ready it 
will be a valuable addition to Montana history. 

Wilbur F. Sanders wrote many interesting articles 
at different times during his Montana career. Un- 
fortunately they, with much other unpublished 
matter, were not collected for publication before his 
death. 

x\s many pioneers are yet living opportunity^ ii^^v 
yet be had for valuable information to be brought to 
light; and a good picture of those early days may be 
gained by talking to pioneers about their experiences. 



PART MI 
THE SOLDIERS IX MONTANA 

1. Early Military Expeditions 

General Atkinson's expedition. — For several years 
after the expedition of Lewis and Clark, the fur 
traders who had gone into the Upper Missouri 
Country to trade with the Indians found that the 
Canadian companies were still coming into the 
country on trading expeditions, and the Americans 
thought that the trade should be saved for their 
own companies. Then, too, there seemed to be a 
great deal of hostility from the Indians toward 
the traders. They were afraid that the Canadian 
companies were influencing the Indians to be un- 
friendly so that the Americans would stay out of the 
country. 

Congress authorizes expedition. — In 1824, Con- 
gress authorized the president of the United States 
to hold councils with the tribes on the Tapper Mis- 
souri and give to the Indians the assurance that the 
Americans wanted to be friendly toward them and 
that they would be glad to have their trade. The 
president appointed General Atkinson and Major B. 
O'Fallon commissioners to hold these councils. 

In the Mercantile Library, in St. Louis, are files 
of old newspapers of that year. In one of them, 



158 THE SOLDIERS IN MONTANA 

''The Missouri Advocate," for October 22, 1825, we 
find the following account of the return of this 
expedition : 

''General Atkinson and Major O'Fallon, commis- 
sioners, accompanied by Lt. McRee, aide to the Gen- 
eral, Capt. B. Riley, and Lt. Rogers, arrived at this 
place in the Barge Antelope, on the evening of the 
20th inst., all in fine health. The expedition left 
Fort Atkinson on the 16th of May, and after the 
necessary delay in treating with the intermediate 
tribes of Indians, arrived at Mandan villages, w^here 
the commissioners waited for the arrival of the Crow 
Indians, who came in on the 3rd August; and on the 
4th, having concluded a treaty with the commis- 
sioners, the expedition embarked on the 6th for the 
Yellowstone, and arrived there on the 17th of August. 
At this point. Gen. Ashley, who had spent the pre- 
vious winter in the mountains, with a detachment 
of his party, arrived in tw^o large skin canoes, with 
one hundred packs of beaver. General Ashley's 
party remaining at the mouth of the river and Capt. 
Riley, with two of the largest transports and one 
hundred and fifty men, being left in command, the 
commissioners proceeded up the Missouri on the 
20th, and reached the mouth of 2000 Mile Creek, 
one hundred and twenty miles above the Yellow- 
stone, on the 24th, and passing that point eight 
miles, on the evening of the 25th of August, the 
expedition commenced its descent of the river, having 
accomplished everything that was practicable or of 
consequence, and arrived at the mouth of the Yellow- 
stone, again, on the 26th. Here Gen. Atkinson, to 



EARLY MILITARY EXPEDITIONS 159 

afford that protection to our fur trade, which he 
has always manifested the strongest disposition to 
do, and to reheve Gen. Ashley at once from all 
further apprehensions, received our enterprising and 
worthy fellow citizen, his party and rich cargo of 
furs on board of the transports, and on the 27th 
continued descending the river. The commissioners, 
as they were descending, halted at the villages of 
the Mandans on the 31st; on the 4th of September 
at the Arricares; at Ft. Kiawa, Great Bend, on the 
9th; at the Poncas village on the 12th, and arrived 
at the Council Bluffs on the 19th of September. 
Here the commissioners remained until October 7, 
making treaties with surrounding Indians." 

Result of the expedition. — The commissioners did 
not succeed in finding the Blackfeet, as they had 
hoped to do, but they left the Upper Missouri with 
the feeling that the fears of the fur traders were 
rather exaggerated and that the Indians were not 
inclined to be hostile. They did not deem it neces- 
sary, at that time, to build military posts on the 
Upper Missouri. 

The railroad surveys. — After gold had been dis- 
covered in California the people in the East began 
to realize that they were a long way from the Pacific 
Coast. By that time a number of railroads had 
been built in the East, and the people wondered if it 
would be at all practicable to build a railroad to the 
Pacific Ocean. At different times men interested in 
the West had introduced bills into Congress propos- 
ing the building of a road, but nothing definite was 
done about it until 1853 when Congress appropriated 



160 THE SOLDIERS IX MONTANA 

$150,000 to be used in thoroughly surveying the 
West, to find the best route to the Pacific. 

Five surveys. — We must understand that they 
were not onh'^ to find a route, but they were to find 
the best route, and as the country was so big, stretch- 
ing from Canada to Mexico, it was decided to divide 
the expedition into five different sections. Each 
section was to have a division of the country and was 
to find out which would be the best route in that 
particular division. These were divided by the par- 
allels of latitude and were called by the name of the 
parallel, as for instance, the most northern route was 
known as the 47th Parallel — the route afterward 
taken by the Northern Pacific. As this was the only 
one of the sections which came into Montana, we 
w^ill only tell of the explorations of that one. 

The northern survey. — The work of the surveys 
was under the supervision of the engineering corps 
of the U. S. Army, and I. I. Stevens, an assistant in 
the U. S. Coast Survey, was given charge of the 
Northern route. Washington was made a territory 
the same year and Stevens was made the first gov- 
ernor of the new territory. Thus he combined the 
two offices, having charge of the survey while on his 
w^ay out to his new field. He had under him several 
lieutenants and scientific men who had charge of the 
different departments . 

Crossing the mountains. — The most important 
part of the survey was the practicability of crossing 
the mountains; not only the easiest passes were to 
be found, but those that were the most practicable 
for winter crossing. 



( 



EARLY MILITARY EXPEDITIONS 



161 



"We would naturally suppose that the fur traders, 
who had been around the headwaters of the Mis- 
souri for over twenty years, would have known some- 
thing about this, but the report tells us that neither 
traders nor Blackfeet could enlighten them, for ''no 
person was found who had ever crossed the moun- 
tains later than the first days of November or earlier 




Cantonment Stevens. "Winter Quarters in the Bitter Root Valley 

than the first days of April." In order to learn all 
about the situation ''winter posts were established 
at Fort Benton and in the St. Mary's Valley (the 
Bitter Root) under the direction of James Doty and 
Lt. Mullan; and Lt. Grover was directed to leave 
Ft. Benton in January and cross the ranges to the 
Pacific with a dog train." 

From the Flatheads he learned what the Blackfeet 
could not tell him "that the passes were generally 
practicable with horses throughout the winter. Victor 



162 THE SOLDIERS IN MONTANA 

said that his people always re-crossed the mountains 
in December or January, men, women, and children, 
with their horses laden with meat and buffalo robes. 
It was only very severe winters that they could 
not cross in January or February. The Washington 
Territory Indians went to the hunt in October or 
November, and returned in February and March." 
Although he had secured this knowledge. Governor 
Stevens "kept the whole mountain region under 
observation and solved the questions of climate and 
snows. Indeed he had the range crossed at every 
month in the year by one or other of these parties." 

Taking wagons over the trail. — After it was found 
that the mountain crossing was no very serious 
obstacle, the next question which arose was the possi- 
bility of taking wagons over them. This had been 
accomplished several years before in the passes further 
south but as yet it had not been done in the survey 
at this latitude. Lieutenant Mullan was especially 
interested in this phase of the question. Many were 
the conversations he held with the Indians and early 
travelers who came to their camp that winter in the 
Bitter Root Valley.' From them he learned much 
about the geography of the country, but no one 
seemed to have any practical ideas to offer about a 
wagon road, for no one had ever really needed to 
take wagons over the mountains and they had never 
considered the idea. 

One half-breed, Gabriel Prudhomme, who had 
been a voyageur and a companion of the earliest 
missionaries in their journeys to the Flathead country, 
gave him the most encouragement, in fact he finally 



EARLY MILITARY EXPEDITIONS 



163 



thought of a waj^ they could take. They went to Fort 
Benton, procured a wagon, and came back easily over 
the trail, in March. This was considered such an im- 
portant accomplishment that a special messenger was 
sent to Governor Stevens, at Olympia, with the news. 
The crossing of the Bitter Root Mountains was a 
more difficult matter. At only three places could 




Caxtox^eent Wright. Lieut. Mull.\x's Winter Quarters 

they pass even with horses; these were the Clark's 
Fork, the St. Regis Borgia, and the Lo-Lo trail. 

iEneas, an old Iroquois Indian, told him of a trail 
which he thought could be used for wagons, through 
a gorgelike pass in the Coeur d'Alene Mountains. 
(Thi^ is now known as Sohons Pass.) From others 
he learned of the Clark's Fork, and a trip was taken 
to Fort Colville, in Washington, going by the way 
of the Clark's Fork and returning by the St. Regis 
Borgia over the Coeur d'Alene Mountains. The time 
of year chosen made this a bad time for the Clark's 



164 THE SOLDIERS IN MONTANA 

Fork, for it was at high water and the crossing was 
diflBcult. The objection to the other route (which 
they had not learned at that time) was with deep 
snows in winter, and naturally at this time it seemed 
the best route; also, being further south, they sup- 
posed it would be more open in winter. Afterward 
when they found their mistake Lieut. Mullan said: 
*'It is a self evident proposition to those familiar 
with the winter character of the Rocky Mountains, 
that it is impossible for a man to express a winter 
view from a summer standpoint." 

Treaties with the Indians. — Crossing the moun- 
tains was not the only work of the survey. They 
were given manj^ other things to do. One was to 
find out how the Indians would treat any settlers 
who might come in and how they would feel if a 
railroad were built through their country. Governor 
Stevens held councils with the tribes on the Missouri 
and also with those west of the mountains and ar- 
ranged with them where their reservations would be. 
First of all they had to promise to be at peace with 
each other and this they agreed to do at the council 
on the Judith River in 1855. 

A useful piece of work. — This railroad survey 
was a useful piece of work for the railroad builders. 
Much of the work they did was used afterward 
in the building of the Northern Pacific road; the 
further observations of Lieut. Mullan when building 
his wagon road determined the course of the railroad 
through Western Montana. 

Lieut. Mullan's expedition for building the wagon 
road. — It was some time before Lieut. Mullan was 



< 



EARLY MILITARY EXPEDITIONS 165 

able to put his ideas into practise. The reason for 
this was because of the immense amount of money 
it would take to build such a road as he had dreamed 
of. In fact it was not accomplished until Governor 
Stevens was in Congress and pushed the bill for the 
appropriation through, in the winter of 1857. Thirty 
thousand dollars was allowed for the building of the 
road. Lieutenant Mullan took up the work in April, 
1858, but it was in December of 1859 before they 
began actual operations in Montana. They had 
started the work at Walla Walla, had been delayed 
by Indian troubles, and had found the building of 
the road through the mountains slow and hard work. 
This work had consisted of timber cutting, bridge 
building, and grading. Both the Coeur D'Alene 
and the St. Regis Borgia Canyons were densely 
timbered, and their courses serpentine, so that the 
streams had to be crossed frequently, or much grad- 
ing done. The standing timber was not the only 
difficulty, for the fallen timber which had been years 
accumulating had to be removed. The forest was 
a veritable jungle. 

Winter quarters at Cantonment Jordon. — By the 
4th of December they had arrived at a place which 
would be a suitable spot for a winter camp. This was 
in the St. Regis Borgia Valley. They called the camp 
Cantonment Jordon. They passed a very comfort- 
able winter in a ''dense bed of timber that furnished 
both building material and fuel, had many fine springs, 
and was securely sheltered from the winds by friendly 
rims of mountains." They spent the winter in mak- 
ing reports of their w^ork, drawing maps of the coun- 



166 THE SOLDIERS IN MONTANA 

try, measuring the snow at different localities and 
different times, so that they could help travelers 
who might be passing through the country at future 
times. 

A strange freak of climate. — One strange climatic 
feature they noticed while working in this valley: 
this was that along the Bitter Root River (which we 
now call the Missoula) the temperature was much 
warmer than in the St. Regis part of the valley: 
They were only fifteen miles northwest of where 
the two rivers come together, and flow through the 
range into the Clark's Fork Valley, but there was 
such a difference in climate that at their camp the 
snow was a foot and a half deeper than at the junc- 
tion. The meteorologic description of this latter place 
(where now is the town of St. Regis) gives it the 
same climate as that of St. Joseph, Missouri. The 
warm wave that passes through this part of the valley 
goes through the Clark's Fork Valley and Lake Pend 
d'Oreille. Lieutenant Mullan discovered too late that 
he had chosen a wrong pass for his road, for had 
he taken the Clark's Fork Valley, wagons could have 
crossed w^ith comparative ease all through the winter 
months, while at the summit of the Sohons Pass, 
where the road was built, the snow in the winter 
was sometimes from seven to nine feet deep. 

Road completed to Fort Benton. — The road was 
roughly completed through to Fort Benton by the 
first of August. When the expedition arrived at 
Fort Benton they found awaiting the opening of the 
road a detachment of 300 soldiers under Major 
Blake. They were on their w^ay to Walla Walla. 



EARLY MILITARY EXPEDITIONS 167 

Lieutenant Mullan and his men accompanied them 
over the road. 

Improving the road. — The following summer they 
made a number of changes in the road, improving it 
considerably by widening it through the timber, 
making side cuts along the hills in place of bridges, 
and building stronger bridges in places where the 
washouts were most frequent. The winter quarters 
for that year were at the junction of the Big Black- 
foot with the Hell Gate near the present town of 
Bonner. They called the camp Cantonment Wright, 
and they spent there a rather uncomfortable time, 
for the winter was one of the most severe in the his- 
tory of the West. The work was entirely finished by 
August, 1862: a road 62i miles long, at a cost of 
$230,000. 

Captain Raynolds' expedition. — Li 1859 Congress 
sent out an expedition under Captain Raynolds of 
the Engineering Corps of the Army to explore the 
headwaters of the Yellowstone and Missouri Rivers, 
and the mountains in which they rise, and to find 
the best route from the Yellowstone to Fort Laramie 
on the Platte River. 

Captain Raynolds had eight assistants and they 
were escorted by a company of thirty soldiers from 
Fort Randall. The guide of the party was the noted 
Jim Bridger, the old fur trader. 

The party went up the river by boat to Fort 
Pierre. From there they went by wagon across the 
country to the Black Hills and then mto Montana 
(which was then still a part of Nebraska). They 
entered the state near the present to^Ti of Graham 



168 THE SOLDIERS IN MONTANA 

in Custer County. They went down the Little 
Powder River to Mizpah Creek. Here the Captain 
lost a watch charm, and he named the creek for the 
motto which was inscribed upon it. At this point 
they turned west and continued in that direction 
until they came to a place on the Yellowstone near 
the present town of Forsyth. At that time the fur- 
trading post of Fort Sarpy was in operation on the 
Yellowstone, and they stopped there for the supplies 
which they had sent up the river from Fort Pierre. 
As it w^as now near the end of the summer, 
the party turned their faces toward Fort Laramie, 
expecting to spend the winter there. 

The party divides. — At the mouth of the Big Horn 
Lieut. Maynadier and a portion of the men left 
the main party and went up Tulloch's Fork while 
the others went up the Big Horn as far as the Big 
Horn Mountains, going around the eastern side of 
the mountains in a southeast course to the Platte 
River. Lieut. Maynadier's party followed the same 
course about thirty to fifty miles to the east. The 
whole expedition at different places crossed most of 
the headwaters of the Yellowstone. They were in 
winter camp on the Platte for seven months. 

On their return the next spring thej^ again divided 
into two parties, Lieut. Maynadier going down the 
Big Horn River to the Gray Bull River. Here thej^ 
took a northwestern direction crossing squarely the 
following streams: Stinking Water, Clarke's Fork of 
the Yellowstone, Rocky Fork, and Big Rosebud, 
reaching at last the Yellowstone and continuing up 
that river to the Blackfoot Pass. It is interesting 



1 



EARLY MILITARY EXPEDITIONS 169 

to know just how this pass was crossed. It '' fol- 
lowed the winding of a small stream and gradually 
ascended by its crooked course until it was lost in 
a dark narrow^ canyon. Then turning abruptly th3 
trail led up a very steep hill through a dense pine 
forest and in about a half mile the divide was reached. 
A halt was called on the summit to allow all hands 
to breathe and to prepare for the descent which bade 
fair to be worse than the ascent. It was very steep 
and rocky, and there were many places where the 
mules had great difficulty in keeping on their feet. 
At one point near the bottom, the gorge opened and 
presented a charming view of the broad plain in 
which the Three Forks of the Missouri unite, and 
soon after w^e came to a beautiful mountain steam, 
which provided an easy road into a fine valley, where 
we camped on the ground of some deserted Indian 
lodges. AYe were now on the waters of the Gallatin 
Fork of the Missouri." 

At the Three Forks of the Missouri. — At the 
Three Forks they met the main party who had 
separated from them at the mouth of the AYind River 
(the head of the Big Horn River). These men had 
had great difficulty in crossing the mountains, on 
account of deep drifts of melting snow. They took 
the L^nion Pass which leads from the headwaters of 
the Wind River to the Gros Yentres Creek in Idaho. 
At this point the head stream of the Green River is 
only five miles distant and the explorers had planned 
to have tea made from waters that would have 
flowed into the Pacific, the Gulf of California, and 
the Gulf of Mexico. But by the time they had 



170 THE SOLDIERS IN MONTANA 

reached the summit they were too weary to care 
anything about it. "Wet and exhausted as I was, all 
the romance of my continental tea-party had de- 
parted, and though the Valley of Green River was 
in plain sight I had not the energy to either visit it 
or send to it." 

Captain Raynolds had planned to cross over into 
the Yellowstone from this spot and see some of 
the wonders of w^hich Bridger had told them. But 
Bridger knew it would be impossible on account of the 
high mountains. When they reached the point where 
they could see these mountains, *' Bridger remarked 
triumphantly and forcibly: 'I told you you could 
not get through. A bird can't fly over that without 
taking a supply of grub along.' I had no reply 
to offer and mentally conceded the accuracy of the 
information of the 'old man of the mountains." 

After reaching the headwaters of the Columbia it 
was an easy matter to reach the Three Forks of the 
Missouri, for they crossed by Henry's Lake where the 
pass is only four miles from, and two hundred feet 
above, the Lake, and so level that it is difficult to 
locate the exact point at which the waters divide. 
Captain Raynolds considered it one of the most re- 
markable and important features of the topography 
of the Rocky Mountains. ''As we approached its 
summit I put spurs to my horse and galloped ahead 
over the boundary line and into Nebraska." 

Homeward bound. — At the Three Forks the expe- 
dition divided again, Lieut. Maynadier going down 
the Yellowstone Valley, Captain Raynolds going by 
boat down the Missouri, while a detachment of twenty 



MILITARY ROADS 171 

men, with all the camp equipment, the guide Bridger, 
the naturalist, artist, meteorologist, and the topog- 
rapher, under the command of Lieut. John MuUan, 
the officer at the head of the military escort, followed 
the ridge between the Missouri and the Yellowstone 
to Fort Union. 

The three divisions of the expedition met at Fort 
Union, and returned to their homes by boat, down 
the Missouri River. 

Captain Fisk's expedition. — In the summer of 
1862, an expedition was sent out from St. Paul under 
the leadership of Captain James L. Fisk, to open 
a wagon road from St. Paul to Fort Benton. The 
appropriation from the Government was not suffi- 
cient to properly do the work, but at that time there 
were many men going out to the gold-fields and some 
were engaged to do the work, for their transportation. 
There were also one hundred and twenty-five emi- 
grants who accompanied the expedition. 

The work accomplished. — All the streams not 
fordable on the entire route were bridged and many 
rough places improved. 

Return by the Pacific. — All the emigrants who 
accompanied the expedition stayed in Montana, and 
also some of the soldiers. The remainder of the 
expedition went over the MuUan Road to Walla 
Walla and returned by way of the Pacific Ocean and 
the Isthmus to Washington. 

2. Military Roads 

The MuUan Road. — The MuUan Road, the buUd- 
ing of which we have described, was built for the 



172 THE SOLDIERS IN MONTANA 

comfort of travelers into Oregon and Washington. 
It also was built for the rapid movement of troops 
over the mountains in case of Indian uprisings. This 
road, after leaving Fort Benton, crossed the moun- 
tains near Helena, over the same pass now taken by 
the Northern Pacific. It passed Deer Lodge and Hell 
Gate (the old stage station near the present Mis- 
soula). After going through the Missoula Valley 
the road crossed the Bitter Root Range over into 
the Coeur d'Alene country in Idaho, and from there 
down to Walla Wal a, the head of navigation on the 
Columbia. This made a connection between the 
Missouri and the Columbia, so that emigrants could 
pass in comparative comfort from St. Louis to the 
Pacific. 

The Bozeman Road. — After gold was discovered 
in Montana, a road was built by J. M. Bozeman, 
which was a short cut from the Platte River to Vir- 
ginia City. After leaving the Platte, the road crossed 
the headwaters of the Powder, Tongue, and Rosebud 
Rivers. After entering Montana, it crossed the Big 
Horn River and went in a due western direction to 
Bozeman, several miles south of the Yellowstone River. 

Military protection. — The Bozeman Road ran 
through Ab-sa-ra-ka, the land of the Crows. These 
Indians themselves were friendly to the Road, and 
made no objections to emigrants using it, or soldiers 
protecting it, but the Sioux and Cheyennes, who had 
had many fierce battles with the Crows about the 
possession of this land, gave the emigrants and the 
soldiers no peace. The road was finally abandoned 
by the soldiers, after many lives had been lost. 



THE MONTANA FORTS 

3. The Montana Forts 



173 



Fort C. F. Smith. — Fort C. F. Smith was built 
in 1866 by the 18th TJ. S. Infantry under the com- 
mand of Colonel H. B. Carrington. It was one of 
a string of posts built to protect the Eozeman Road. 




The First Army Station ix Yellowstoxe National Park 

It was occupied a few months only for the Sioux 
and Cheyennes were so hostile to the headquarters 
Post (Fort Phil Kearney in Wyoming, 91 miles 
south of Fort C. F. Smith) that the military occu- 
pancy of the whole road had to be abandoned. 

Fort Ellis. — Troops from this regiment were to 
be sent to Fort Ellis, at the western end of the Boze- 



174 THE SOLDIERS IN MONTANA 

man Road, but they found that they had not a suffi- 
cient force to build and protect three forts, so for 
the time the occupancy of Fort Elhs was postponed. 
In August, 1866, Brevet Brigadier General Hazen 
came to Fort Phil Kearney on a tour of inspection. 
He went on overland to Fort Benton and other 
posts on the Upper Missouri, taking with him Lieut. 
Bradley and twenty-six picked men of the mounted 
infantry. Lieutenant Bradley from this time was con- 
nected with Fort Ellis, his regiment being changed 
from 18th Infantry to 7th Infantry. It was at Fort 
Ellis that he gathered the historical matter published 
in the "Contributions to the Montana Historical 
Society." Fort Ellis was one of the forts built by 
Majof Eugene M. Baker in 1866. It was three 
miles from Bozeman and was for many years one of 
the important military posts of Montana. 

Fort Shaw and Camp Baker. — Fort Shaw w^as on 
the Sun River and was the headquarters for the posts 
built by Major Eugene M. Baker in 1866. Camp 
Baker was built by Major Baker on the Smith River 
just over the range from Diamond City. After the 
Battle of the Big Hole the name of Camp Baker was 
changed to Fort Logan in memory of Captain Logan 
who was killed in that battle. The first command- 
ing officer of these posts was Lieut. Colonel Albert 
G. Brackett, but he was there but a short time when 
the command was given to Major Baker. 

Stronger forts. — After the troubles wath the 
Sioux and Cheyennes from 1866 to 1876 it was 
thought best to give a different equipment to the 
posts. During that time the posts were built more 



BATTLES FOUGHT IX MONTANA 175 

in groups or chains, with one post as headquarters 
and the others occupied by troops from the same 
regiments. In the summer of 1876 and within a 
year or two following four new posts were built in 
Montana, each one to house a whole regiment. This 
gave better protection to the forts and still allowed 
sufficient men to send out detachments for outside 
work. Fort Keogh at the mouth of the Tongue, 
and Fort Custer at the mouth of the Little Big 
Horn were built in July of 1876. In 1878 Fort 
Maginnis in the Judith Country and Fort Assiniboin 
on the Milk River, north of the Bear Paw Moun- 
tains, were built. Fort ]Missoula was the post west 
of the Mountains. 

Fort Buford. — At the mouth of the Yellowstone, 
east of Fort L^nion (the old fur-trading post) was 
built Fort Buford, but this was just over the line 
into Dakota. Fort L'nion had been in ^Montana. 

Fort Peck and Fort Benton. — Fort Peck was an 
Indian trading post and agency, and was not a mili- 
tary post. Fort Benton, too, was an old Indian fur- 
trading post, and was never occupied by the military 
forces. 

4. Battles Fought ix Montana 

Baker and the Blackfeet. — The Montana Indians 
were as a rule quiet and friendly to the whites. 
Only once did the soldiers have to quiet a disturb- 
ance, and that was soon over. At this time there 
was a sort of family feud between some Blackfeet 
and a family of whites. The trouble culminated in 
the murder of Malcolm Clark, a man who had had 



176 THE SOLDIERS IN MONTANA 

charge of Fort Benton during the fur- trading days, 
and had later gone to farming in the Prickly Pear 
Valley. The deed was done by a distant relative of 
his wife (who was a Blackfoot). This Indian had 
had some grievance against the settlers and blamed 
Clark for it. The excitement became intense and 
the people becoming alarmed, the troops were sent 
out to punish the band of Indians who had been 
mixed up in the affair. 

A command of four companies of cavalry left Fort 
Ellis under Major Baker, and on reaching Fort Shaw 
were joined by two companies of infantry. The 
trouble was soon settled after a battle on the Marias 
near the Big Bend in which one chief was killed and 
several Indians taken prisoners. These last were 
quickly released when it was discovered that some of 
them were suffering from smallpox. The Indians 
soon quieted down and never after gave any trouble. 

Montana's Indian battles. — The two great In- 
dian battles fought in Montana were not with In- 
dians whose homes were in Montana. In the Battle 
of the Big Hole the Nez Perces were the enemies. 
They were simply passing through Montana, fleeing 
from the soldiers, trying to find a place where they 
could live as they liked, and not go upon a reserva- 
tion. In the Battle of the Little Big Horn, when 
Custer and his men lost their lives, the Indians 
were Dakota Indians who came into Montana to 
hunt. They had no right to hunt in that coun- 
try, even by the laws of the Indians, for the land 
belonged to the Crows and they had the first right 
to it. 



BATTLES FOUGHT IN MONTANA 177 

The Sioux in Yellowstone. — For many years the 
Sioux had hunted in the Yellowstone regardless of 
the hostility of the Crows, and later, as settlers 
moved into the Lower Missouri Valley, it was more 
and more necessary for the Sioux to hunt on the 
Upper Valleys of the River. When the Cheyennes 
of the Black Hills of eastern Dakota divided their 
bands one portion w^ent to the Red River Country 
and the other portion went to the Valleys of the 
Powder and Tongue Rivers. The Sioux now found 
in the Cheyennes an ally against their enemy, the 
Crows, and the Crowds had to suffer both these tribes 
to choose the best lands for hunting and in some 
cases for homes. 

The Bozeman Road in Ab-sa-ra-ka. — When the 
Bozeman Road was built through the Big Horn 
Country, it ran through Ab-sa-ra-ka, the old home 
of the Crows. The Crows did not resent the passing 
through of the white men, and even welcomed the 
soldiers who were sent out to guard the road, for 
now they could hope for help to drive out their old 
enemies. But the Sioux and the Cheyennes could 
not see the justice of the white men being allowed to 
go through their lands w^hen they themselves were 
not allowed to go through the white man's lands. 
Furthermore they had no intention of peaceably giving 
up this land that they had stolen from the Crows. 

Sioux troubles in Dakota. — When gold was dis- 
covered in the West, the Sioux began to have trouble 
wdth prospectors, because the Black Hills, which 
became famous for their rich mines, w^ere right in 
the Sioux Country. The w^hite men had no right to 



178 THE SOLDIERS IX MONTANA 

work the mines on the reservation, and the Indians 
had just cause to be indignant. The Government, 
in order to keep peace, held a council with the Sioux 
in which they offered to buy the Black Hills from 
the Indians, but the latter had noted that the pros- 
pectors had found riches there, and they asked a 
very high price for it. One Indian said that if the 
Great Father (the Indian name for the Government) 
would give each Indian family hundreds of kinds of 
stock every year that it would not begin to pay for 
the Black Hills; and he was right. But the Govern- 
ment could not buy it at such a prohibitive price, 
and so they let the matter rest. The prospectors 
went on with their mining and they could not be 
restrained. If one was arrested he would serve out 
his imprisonment or pay his fine, and as soon as he 
gained his freedom he would be back at his claim 
again. While the Government was trj^ing to solve 
the problem the Indians became restless. When 
they were ordered to stay on their reservation they 
rebelled and many went out on the war-path. 

Troops sent to quell the Sioux. — Affairs came to 
such a pass that in 1876 it was necessary to send out 
troops to quell the disturbances. The Indians had 
retreated to their old hunting grounds and there 
the soldiers followed them, and the battle was fought 
in Montana, although they were not Montana 
Indians. This was the campaign that ended in the 
dreadful Custer massacre. 

The Sioux were such a powerful tribe that it needed 
a large number of soldiers to subdue them. All the 
forces in the Rocky Mountain Country were called 



BATTLES FOUGHT IN MONTANA 179 

out. The troops were under three generals. One 
command under General Crook was to march north 
from Fort Laramie, another under General Terry 
was to come from the east. In the Powder River 
Country, where the Sioux villages were supposed to 
be camped, they were to be met by General Gibbon 
with his command from the military posts of Mon- 
tana. Brevet Major General George A. Custer was 
in General Terry's expedition. He was Lieut. Col- 
onel of the Seventh Cavalry and in command of 
that regiment. 

Plan of the campaign. — Generals Terry and Gib- 
bon met at the mouth of the Powder River, but 
General Crook was unsuccessful in joining them or 
finding the main village of the Sioux. General 
Crook had an encounter on the 17th of June with a 
large band under Crazy Horse, on the Rosebud, 
but it proved ineffectual and he returned to Fort 
Laramie. Custer w^as sent with twelve companies of 
cavalrj^ — the entire Seventh Regiment — ^to follow up 
the main village of the Sioux w^hose trail had been 
traced for some miles up the Rosebud. Instructions 
were given him by General Terry before his depar- 
ture, in wTiting, w^hich left nearly everything to 
Custer's discretion. He was to find the village, to 
attack the Indians if necessary, and not to let them 
escape to the south. Terry and Gibbon were to 
follow more slowly, and the combined forces were 
then to concentrate and annihilate the Sioux and 
bring them to terms, forcing them to return to the 
reservation. The best information obtained by any 
of the commanders, including General Sheridan at 



180 THE SOLDIERS IN MONTANA 

Chicago, placed the number of Indian warriors at 
eight hundred to one thousand only. 

Custer's plans. — The village was located on the 
Little Big Horn, and Custer divided his regiment 
into three battalions for the attack. Five companies 
were to go with him to the foot of the village to the 
north; Captain Benteen, with three companies, was 
to make a detour to the south and prevent escape 
in that direction according to General Terry's orders. 
Major Reno with three companies was to attack and 
charge the upper end of the village across the river; 
the remaining company under Captain McDougal 
was to guard the pack train of supplies and reserve 
ammunition. 

Custer overlooking the village. — When Custer's 
scouts stood on the bluffs and looked over the village 
the larger number of lodges were hidden from view, 
around a point of the bluff, so that the village ap- 
peared much smaller than it in reality was, and it 
is supposed that Custer felt positive that with his 
force he could easily surround and annihilate the 
whole village, pursuing the same tactics which had 
won for him victory at the battle of the Wichita. 
But he was sadly mistaken, for instead of one 
thousand warriors the number reached between three 
and five thousand. 

Reno begins the attack. — Reno crossed the river 
and was the first to attack, about noon, June 25, 
1876, and very shortly discovered Custer's miscal- 
culation. He was amazed at the large number of 
the enemy, and dismounted his men so that they 
could thus better defend themselves. They soon 



BATTLES FOUGHT IX MONTANA 181 

retreated and the soldiers fled in panic across the 
river. 

Joined by Benteen and McDougal. — Benteen 
and McDougal joined them and they entrenched 
themselves on a hill. About five o'clock they marched 
to a point of the bluff to see if they could find Custer. 
From this bluff they looked in all directions for 
Custer but he was nowhere to be seen. A few shots 
had been heard, and they, supposing him to have 
been repulsed and to have retired down the river, 
returned to the hill whence they had started and 
improved their rifle pits and other defenses, to be 
ready in case the Indians should come back and 
attack them. It was well thej^ were prepared, for 
the Indians, after they had annihilated Custer, came 
with added numbers and stormed their forces all 
the rest of the afternoon and the evening, beginning 
the attack again at dawn of the next morning. For 
seven hours the battle lasted, then the Indians 
retired from the field. 

The Indian village retreats to the south. — The 
soldiers feared the Indians were planning another 
attack, but instead of that they were preparing a 
retreat, and in the afternoon the immense village 
was packed up and hurried off to the south to a 
place of safety, they having discovered the approach 
of Terry and Gibbon from the north. 

News of Custer. — The next day, the 27th, Reno 
and Benteen were reinforced by the remainder of 
Terry's command. From them they learned the 
terrible news of the Custer Massacre, wherein not 
one single oflBcer or soldier survived to tell the story. 



182 THE SOLDIERS IN MONTANA 

As the Indians were gone, the soldiers all went to 
the scene of the battle, to bury the dead. 

The Custer battle. — The bodies were mostly 
found on a high ridge of hills well back from the 
river, a spot well chosen for defense, where the gal- 
lant Custer had been quite surrounded by thousands 
of Indians. Calhoun's company had been the first 
to fall, and the others under Keogh, Yates, Tom 
Custer, and Smith, in one irregular but clearly de- 
fined battle line, fell at their posts of duty. The 
body of Custer himself was found in a group of about 
thirty ofiicers and men on a little hill at the right. 
Near him was the body of his brother. Captain Tom 
Custer. The Chief Long Hair, as Custer was called 
by the Indians, was not scalped as were the others, 
nor was his body mutilated in any w^ay. Many 
reasons have been given by historians for this, but 
no one really knows why the Indians did not muti- 
late his body. It was thought at first that the 
Indians had left him thus out of respect for his 
bravery shown, not only in this battle but in many 
others, from whence he had always before returned 
victorious. Rain-In-The-Face, a Sioux chief, tells us 
differently. He it was who killed Captain Tom 
Custer, the General's brother in the fight, and tore 
out his heart and ate it. This he had threatened to 
do, when Captain Custer had had him imprisoned 
for murdering two men connected with the reserva- 
tion some time before. Rain-In-The-Face said that 
no man was too brave to be scalped, and the reason 
that General Custer was not so mutilated was be- 
cause the Indians did not recognize him and could 



184 THE SOLDIERS IN MONTANA 

not find his body. Before starting the campaign, 
Custer, for the first time, had had his long yellow 
hair, which had given him his name Chief Long Hair 
among the Indians, cut short, and this was one reason 
why he was not recognized. He also wore a suit of 
buckskin, like a frontier hunter, and bore on his 
person no insignia of rank. 

E. S. Paxson's Painting. — Several paintings have 
been made of the Custer massacre, but only one is 
a true picture from a strictly historical sense. That 
is one by the Montana artist, E. S. Paxson, who 
makes a specialty of Indian subjects. He studied 
the matter thoroughly for years and talked with 
Indians who were in the battle, and learned from 
them as far as possible the exact positions of the 
principal victims in this great tragedy. The late 
Colonel W. S. Brackett, a nephew of the first com- 
manding ofiicer of Fort Ellis, who knew many oflScers 
and men who served in the army in that campaign, 
and made a study of it, and of the battle, has stated 
that he believed this painting to be historically 
accurate in every particular. 

The Custer monument. — The Custer monument 
and the graves of the brave soldiers are to be 
seen from the Burlington Railroad near Fort Custer. 
The graves are scattered all over the bluffs, and 
there is one quite a little distance from the others, 
that of a soldier who tried to escape from the fearful 
foe. 

The Sioux escaped. — The Sioux escaped carry- 
ing their dead with them, and there was no small 
number as the Indians have themselves acknowledged. 



BATTLES FOUGHT IN MONTANA 



185 



They were hunted down, m the course of time, by 
the soldiers and returned to the reservation, but 
Sitting Bull, the great chief, escaped into Canada. 

Sitting Bull. — Sitting Bull had pretended to be a 
great medicine chief, but whenever there was a pros- 
pect of a fight he w^ould retire to the hills to make 




Copyright, L. A. Huffman, Jlic.-_ ^..^ 

A Sioux Warrior's Grave 

medicine. As soon as the battle was over he would 
return to the village and claim all the honor of the 
victory, saying that it was through his medicine that 
the braves were able to conquer the enemy. He was 
finally brought back to his reservation where he was 
to the day of his death a man of great power among 
his people. The story of the last days of his life 
and his tragic death belongs to the history of Dakota. 
The Sioux subdued. — After the Custer massacre 



186 THE SOLDIERS IX MONTANA 

the Crows and the white settlers of Montana were no 
more troubled by the Sioux. Thej^ were forced to 
stay on their reservations in Dakota. The Chey- 
ennes were given a reservation of their own in south- 
eastern Montana. 

More Indian troubles. — The Montana people 
were no sooner settled down to a feeling of peace 
than there were rumors of Indian troubles to the 
west. This time it was the Nez Perces who were on 
the war-path. This was surprising because the Nez 
Perces had always been friendly Indians to both the 
whites and the Indians, having been especiallj^ allied 
with the Flatheads and Pend d'Oreilles. Their home 
was in Oregon, in the Wallowa Valley. They had 
welcomed the white settlers, offering no objections 
to them, but they did not take kindly to being 
compelled to stay upon a reservation. 

The Non-treaty Nez Perces. — Many of the Nez 
Perces, and especially those connected with the Mis- 
sion, agreed to stay upon the reservation, but 
there was a band who objected to it. These were 
called the Non-treaties. They were under Chief 
Joseph. He was a son of Old Joseph, who had been 
Head Chief before him. His home had been very 
dear to this old chief. He would never sign a treaty. 
He said that the earth was his mother and that no 
man had a right to sell his mother. When he died he 
requested his sons never to sign a treaty giving away 
their mother. Joseph was true to his father's wish, 
although he always entertained a friendly feeling 
toward the whites, and he felt that they had no 
right to put him on a reservation. 



BATTLES FOUGHT IN MONTANA 187 

Although Chief Joseph was not hostile he felt 
that his people had a grievance; his two sub-chiefs, 
White Bird and Looking Glass, and all his men were 
bent on hostilities, and he could do nothing else but 
act with them and assist them to gain their demands. 
They finally agreed in 1877 to go on the reservation 
and they were given thirty days in which to fulfil 
their agreement. They complained at the shortness 
of time but it was not extended. Incensed at this, 
White Bird and some of his band in June attacked 
some settlers and so began the trouble. 

The Battle of the Clearwater in Idaho. — A small 
force of soldiers was sent out to quell the disturbance, 
but all were killed before aid could be sent to them. 
As soon as reinforcements could be sent. General 
Howard attacked the Indians. The Battle of the 
Clearwater was the result. The Indians, who are 
much more skilful in crossing rivers than are the 
soldiers who are weighed dow^n with provisions, am- 
munition, and cannon, crossed over the Clearwater 
and retreated, going over the Lo-Lo trail into Mon- 
tana. 

The Indians escape into Montana. — Because of 
the delay in procuring reinforcements General How- 
ard, then in command of the military department in 
Oregon, Washington, and Idaho, allowed the Indians 
to get a week's start in advance, but he sent word 
to General Gibbon, of the Montana forces, to inter- 
cept the Indians and return them to their reservation. 

In the Lo-Lo Canyon. — At the mouth of the Lo- 
Lo Canyon, where it opens out into the Bitter Root 
Valley, Captain Rawn, of the Missoula Fort, met 



188 THE SOLDIERS IN MONTANA 

them and demanded either surrender, or that they 
turn over to him all arms and ammunition. The 
Indians replied that they wished only to be allowed 
to pass quietly through the country- that if they 
were granted this request, no harm should be done 
the settlers of the Bitter Root Valley; they were on 
their way to the Buffalo country, in the Yellowstone 
Valley, and that the}" desired to have no trouble 
with the whites. Captain Rawn paid no heed to 
their request and placed a strong guard at the mouth 
of the canyon. Great was his chagrin, a few hours 
later, to discover that the Indians had quietlj^ slipped 
down a ravine left unguarded, and were already on 
their march up the Bitter Root. Captain Rawn fol- 
lowed them until he discovered that they greatly 
outnumbered his small force, and that it w^as folly 
to attempt an attack. 

In the Bitter Root Valley. — The Indians were not 
slow to see his move and took their own time in 
passing through the valley. They stopped at Stevens- 
ville to trade with the settlers, and well supplied 
themselves with guns and ammunition. If they had 
made quicker time, they could easily have reached 
the British possessions before they could have been 
overtaken. But they knew that General Howard 
was several days behind them and they never thought 
of such a thing as forces from another direction. 
Such there were, however, and General Gibbon, who 
arrived in Missoula with his troops two or three 
daj^s after Captain Rawn's adventure with them, was 
fast gaining upon them. The Indians went leisurely 
over the trail and down into the Big Hole Valley. 



BATTLES FOUGHT IX MONTANA 189 

General Gibbon overtakes them. — A day or two 
before the battle Lieut. Bradley and Lieut. Jacobs 
of General Gibbon's command had been sent ahead 
with the mounted volunteers and eight of the Sec- 
ond Cavalry to exactly locate the village, and if 
possible drive off the herds and render the escape of 
the Indians impossible. They moved on cautiously 
and when informed by the scouts that they were 
nearing the village, the two lieutenants and a cor- 
poral crept on ahead, leaving the men in camp. By 
climbing a high pine tree they were enabled to see 
the village, with all the inhabitants peacefully oc- 
cupied in the duties of camp life. The squaws were 
engaged in cutting lodge poles, for on the march 
ahead of them there were few trees and they must 
needs carrj^ their lodge poles with them. Lieutenant 
Bradley immediately sent a courier to General Gib- 
bon and then waited in camp for the coming of the 
command. 

Battle of the Big Hole. — On the morning of 
August 9th, 1877, the attack was made. Lieutenant 
Bradley was sent down the stream with his men to 
attack the village from that side. They could easily 
have run off the herd, but fearing to arouse the vil- 
lage before all was ready, they left the animals quietly 
grazing. They later saw their mistake, for the 
ponies were not guarded at all, so secure had the 
Indians felt in their camp. A herder was the first 
to awake in the camp. He w^as going out to look 
after the horses. He was shot down by Bradley's 
party and killed. This was the signal for the begin- 
ning of the battle. The Indians were completely 



190 THE SOLDIERS IN MONTANA 

surprised and ran yelling from their teepees, some of 
them so badly frightened as to forget their guns. 
They soon gained composure, and the battle raged 
hotly on both sides, the squaws fighting as hard as 
the men. Many brave men lost their lives, among 
them Captain Logan and Lieut. Bradley. They 
were both killed early in the fight. The soldiers 
were at last compelled to retreat to shelter. At 
once the squaws set to work to prepare the village 
for departure. Teepees were taken down and all 
the effects packed, and the squaws and children 
retreated down the river, driving the loose ponies 
before them. The warriors stayed with the fight, 
surrounding the brush in w^hich the soldiers had taken 
refuge. On the morning of the eleventh the warriors 
retreated. 

Bitter Root settlers killed. — There were several 
Bitter Root settlers who were killed in the battle. 
They had joined the soldiers in the pursuit of 
the Indians. The Flatheads and other friends of the 
Nez Perces felt that this was a poor return for the 
peaceful passage which the Nez Perces had made 
through the unprotected valley. But we must re- 
member that there were few modes of communica- 
tion in those days and these people had heard wild 
stories of how the Nez Perces were on the war-path, 
and were coming through the country killing all in 
their way. The settlers were panic-stricken, even 
after the Indians had passed, not knowing when 
they might return and make use of the guns and 
ammunition which had been reluctantly sold to them 
in Stevens ville, and the men who joined the soldiers 



BATTLES FOUGHT IN MONTANA 191 

in pursuit of the Indians did so to protect their own 
homes. Those who were killed in the battle were 
the only settlers in the Bitter Root Valley who 
suffered at the hands of the Nez Perces. 
« In the Yellowstone National Park. — After leav- 
ing the Big Hole Valley the Nez Perces turned to- 
ward the southwest, going by way of Henry's Lake 
into the Yellowstone National Park. Here they 
found two or three parties of tourists, and, the war 
spirit in them being now thoroughly aroused, gave 
these travelers more adventure than they had looked 
for. One party in particular was very badly treated. 
Two of the men were severely wounded and another 
man and two women were made captives, but were 
later given their liberty. 

Colonel Miles meets the Indians. — After leaving 
the Park, the Indians crossed over to Clark's Fork 
of the Yellowstone and upon reaching the Yellow- 
stone made straight for the Bear Paw Mountains. 
There they were headed off by Colonel Miles, who 
had hurried from his campaign with the Sioux, at 
the word of General Howard, to prevent them from 
reaching the British possessions. 

Battle of the Bear Paw Mountains. — A second 
time Chief Joseph had "reckoned without his hosts"; 
he thought he had left all his enemies far behind. 
The whole village was resting quietly, so near the 
haven where they would be, and to reach which they 
had undergone such dangers. The first act of Colonel 
Miles' men was to drive off the ponies. This left 
the Indians no means of escape. The fight was a 
most desperate one, for, although the Indians were 



192 THE SOLDIERS IN MONTANA 

hemmed in on all sides, they kept the soldiers back 
for four days and nights. On the fifth day a messen- 
ger was sent by Colonel Miles to ask for a surrender. 
As the terms were to be unconditional Joseph refused 
and the fight was continued. 

Joseph surrenders. — Again Miles asked for an in- 
terview with Joseph, and on the promise of the former 
that the Indians should be allowed to have their 
home again and all be sent to the Lapwai Reserva- 
vation in Idaho, Joseph surrendered with all that 
was left of his people. 

5. Sources of Military History 

Government records. — The records of all expe- 
ditions and works performed by the Government are 
to be found in the Government documents. Infor- 
mation which can be found nowhere else is often 
found there, and we can be sure that it is accurate. 
Unfortunately a great deal is not available to the 
general public, because often the reports are put in 
with others of a different character, and if the re- 
ports are not very carefully catalogued, they are not 
to be found. 

Then again, in the case of the very old reports, 
these have been long out of print and are hard to 
get copies of. 

Survey reports. — The reports of the railroad sur- 
vey in 1853 are full of all sorts of information about 
the West. These reports are in twelve large volumes, 
or rather thirteen — for the twelfth volume is in two 
parts. The first and twelfth volumes are the ones 
that tell about the surveys in Montana. They not 



SOURCES OF MILITARY HISTORY 198 

only tell about the lay of the land and the character 
of the rivers, the trails, and the passes over the 
mountains, but they also describe the plants, and 
animals and rocks, and tell about the Indians whom 
the surveyors met in their travels. They also tell 
about the life at the Missions and at the trading 
posts. 

Lieut. Mullan. — The Government has issued a 
report of the building of the Mullan Road giving 
the route and other details. Lieutenant IMullan gives 
many facts which are interesting to those studying 
about the early days. It is especially so to those 
living in the country through which the road passed. 
This report is only to be obtained from second-hand 
dealers. 

Captain Raynolds. — Captain Raynolds' report of 
his exploration is to be found in the Senate Docu- 
ments, 2nd Session, 40th Congress, 1867-68. It is 
Executive Document Xo. 77. It gives a day by day 
report of the events of the exploration, and a good 
description of that part of the country before there 
was any settlement. 

Army and Navy Journals. — In the Army and 
Navy Journals the record is given of all operations 
at the posts, the building of new posts, and the 
account of all battles and engagements. So if you 
know the date of an event you can find it in the 
Journals, if you can find one for that year. 

Garrison life. — Some of the soldiers who were 
stationed at posts in Montana have written about 
their experiences and the wives of two of the soldiers 
have written for us books which give an idea of 



194 THE SOLDIERS IN MONTANA 

garrison life and the everyday life of the soldiers. 
These two women are Mrs. Custer and Mrs. Car- 
rington. 

Mrs. Custer's books. — Mrs. Custer's stories, 
''Following the Guidon," ''Boots and Saddles," 
and "Tenting on the Plains," are full of interesting 
details of army life in the west, — not much of it 
Montana life, but enough to form an idea of what 
the life of our own soldiers was. The letters to his 
wife from Colonel Custer form a large part of her 
books. They tell the story of the preparation for 
the last march into the Yellowstone Country. The 
last pages of "Boots and Saddles" give the despair 
of the garrison when the news came which "wrecked 
the lives of twenty-six women at Fort Lincoln" 
and of the "orphaned children of officers and soldiers 
[who] joined their cry to that of their bereaved 
mothers." 

Mrs. Carrington. — Mrs. Carrington's narrative 
"Ab-sa-ra-ka; the land of Massacre," tells all about 
the experiences of the 18th Infantry while they were 
stationed at Fort Phil Kearney in Wyoming. She 
gives a full account — with full sympathy for the 
Indians — of the trouble between the Sioux and the 
Cheyennes and the whites. Her narrative is added 
to by her husband. Colonel Carrington, who gives 
the ending of the whole trouble with the Custer 
Massacre. 

Lieut. Bradley. — Lieutenant Bradley wrote a num- 
ber of historical sketches while he was stationed at 
Fort Ellis. His manuscripts were presented by his 
wife to the Montana Historical Society, and they 



SOURCES OF MILITARY HISTORY 195 

have been printed in different volumes of the ^'Con- 
tributions." 

Chief Joseph. — The story of the Battle of the 
Big Hole has been told by many people. Some have 
even told the story from the standpoint of the In- 
dians, but one man is now writing a full account. 
He is a personal friend of Chief Joseph's and he says 
Chief Joseph has never talked to any one but him 
about his trouble. When his work is published it 
will be an important contribution to the sources of 
the history of this period. 



PART VIII 
DEVELOPMENT OF THE STATE 

1. Early Quartz Days 

Intruders. — While the white men were digging 
their fortunes out of the earth, the Indians looked 
on in sorrow, and well they might, for these intrud- 
ers had appropriated to themselves the very land 
most prized by all the tribes; the common hunting 
ground. Here in the protected valleys the Indians 
had been sure of finding game the year around. But 
the passing back and forth of hundreds of wagons 
and horsemen had driven the game back into the 
mountains, and the Indians might well follow. It 
was no use to remonstrate. The experiences of other 
tribes had proved this to them. x\nd there was no 
hope that the white men would go back to the land 
from whence they had come, for they were building 
permanent villages and planting farms. 

The old placer towns. — The placers had been a 
great gain to the white men. No one can compute 
the value of the millions of ounces of gold dust 
taken out of the sands of the gulches, nor can any 
one tell how many fortunes had been made and 
lost again in those first j^ears. Many had gained 
the nucleus of a comfortable income, others had re- 
invested and had lost all. Five mining towns had 



EARLY QUARTZ DAYS 197 

been made: Bannack, Virginia City, Helena, Butte, 
and Diamond City. Of these five, all except the last 
one, which was in Confederate Gulch, have played 
an important part in the development of the State. 
Although the placers were highly important in their 
richness, still they were not permanent, and were 
soon worked out. What made the placers of most 
value was the fact that they showed the presence of 
quartz under the surface, and it was the quartz dis- 
coveries that turned the placer diggings into per- 
manent towns. Of the five camps, Butte and Helena 
became the most important; Butte because of her 
immense ore deposits; and Helena, because of her 
central location. The railroads, of course, had much 
to do with the development of these towns, but had 
the quartz of Diamond, Bannock, and Virginia 
warranted it, the railroads would have found a 
way through them, too. 

The stage stations of Missoula, Deer Lodge, and 
Bozeman, with Fort Benton, the head of navigation, 
have also grown into important towns. 

Discovery of quartz. — The first discovery of gold- 
bearing quartz was made in 1862 (the same year 
that the first rich placers were discovered), at Ban- 
nack, when in November the Dakotah Lode was 
located. A rudely constructed mill was completed 
in 1883 for the purpose of reducing the ore from this 
mine. This was the first quartz mill, but others were 
built before the year was out. More quartz discov- 
eries were made in 1864 and 1865 at Helena, Philips- 
burg, and Butte. Philipsburg was then known as 
the Flint Creek District. The quartz mines there 



198 



DEVELOPMENT OF THE STATE 



were of silver which in those days meant as much as 
gold. The mines at Helena were of gold and those of 
Butte were of silver. It was not until a rich strike 
in copper was made in the Anaconda Mine in the 




Prospector Panning Out Gold 

early eighties that Butte was known as a copper 
camp. 

Prospectors. — These discoveries were only pros- 
pects; many were thought at that time to be only 
''holes in the ground." It was the later develop- 
ments which proved the value of the mines. The 
men who found the lodes were only prospectors, who 
were usually employed by some one else to go out 



EARLY QUARTZ DAYS 199 

into the hills looking for lodes, but many times they 
were prospecting for themselves. They would come 
into the camps after many weeks of prospecting, with 
samples of ore in heavy canvas sacks strapped upon 
their pack animals. When these samples were assayed 
they showed the value of the ore. When the men- 
were too poor to pay the expenses of assaying, they 
selected average specimens from different parts of the 
vein or lode, pulverized them in an iron mortar, and 
washed them out in a pan, just as they had washed 
out the placer dirt. If they found any grains of 
gold they concluded that they had found a good 
thing, and in nine cases out of ten it proved a true 
test. 

Scientific men. — As soon as it was known that 
quartz lodes of great value had been found, a new 
class of people flocked into the Territory. Among 
them were scientific men, assayers, and operators, and 
a considerable quantity of property passed into the 
hands of men who could control the means to 
develop it. One of these was A. K. Eaton, a practical 
chemist and assayer. He discovered a number of 
lodes in the Rattlesnake Hills, twelve miles from 
Bannack. 

Philipsburg. — The prospects on Flint Creek proved 
to be the most valuable of all the silver lodes; 
the Granite Mountain Mine there was said to be 
the richest silver mine in the world, and Philips- 
burg grew and prospered until the fall in the price 
of silver, when, like all other silver districts, the 
mines had to be shut down because they could not 
pay expenses. 



200 DEVELOPMENT OF THE STATE 

Helena. — The quartz found around Helena was 
gold. The first strike was made in 1864 by James 
W. Whitlatch, in the Whitlatch Union Mine, and in 
three years it yielded over one million dollars. But 
the richest of the gold mines was the one known as 
the Drum Lummon, discovered by Thomas Cruse, 
who himself owned it. 

Butte. — The quartz mines of Butte were not 
discovered as soon as the others although it was 
known that there was quartz there, for the greatest 
interest was with the placer mines and only those 
who were themselves owners of quartz claims gave 
much attention to it. The real pioneers of Butte 
were G. O. Humphreys and William Allison. They 
located two claims in May, 1864, the Original and the 
Missoula, but it is not known which w^as the first. 
A little work had been done previously, by some one 
unknown, on the Original, as there had been a hole 
dug. This hole might have been dug by Indians 
searching for gay colored stones, as the diggings had 
been done with elk horns. 

The Travonia. — Other lodes were located soon 
after those of Humphreys and Allison; these were in 
the southwestern part of the town on what was after- 
wards known as ''Lovers' Knoll." The principal dis- 
covery there was the Travonia, which was made by 
William L. Farlin and was a producer for a number 
of years. The Black Chief, the Parrot, the Shakes- 
peare Parrot, the Grey Eagle, and the Mountain 
were located at about the same time, and had it 
not been for the richness of the placer mines soon 
after discovered along the Silver Bow Creek, it is 



EARLY QUARTZ DAYS 201 

probable that Butte's quartz boom would have come 
several years earlier than it did, for all of these 
properties were of good promise. 

Silver Bow. — The present mining district was 
organized with ^Yilliam Allison as president and G. 

0. Humphreys as recorder. Silver Bow became the 
county seat of Deer Lodge County, which then em- 
braced the three present ones of Powell, Deer Lodge, 
and Silver Bow. The following year, 1865, the 
county seat was removed to Deer Lodge. Silver 
Bow then had a thousand people. Butte began to 
grow about 1866. Mail for the people there came by 
way of Yirginia City, and was brought across by 
Pony Express which was operated by William Yer- 
non. He carried only letters, and charged twenty- 
five cents each. 

W. L. Farlin. — When Butte was deserted in 1869 
there w^ere a few who stood by the camp. Two of 
these were W. L. Farlin and Joseph Ramsdell, and 
they were well repaid for their faith. They received 
for years nothing but ridicule for working their 
quartz claims with such patience. During this time 
Mr. Farlin took a journey to Salt Lake and the 
States, taking with him samples of ore from his 
claims. When they were assayed they proved rich in 
silver. On his return to Butte he told no one of his 
discoveries but prospected more and when January 

1, 1875 came, he re-located thirteen claims. Others 
soon guessed the good news and many claims were 
located. The Travonia was one of those which Mr. 
Farlin had re-located. He had been shipping the \ 
ore ever since 1865 to Fort Benton by wagon. The 



202 DEVELOPMENT OF THE STATE 

ore was rich and well worth shipping. In 1875 he 
determined to work his own ore, and built the Dexter 
Mill in what is now the Travonia Addition. 

Mr. Farlin's success infused new life into the camp, 
business picked up, and many who had deserted the 
town returned. The ''old-timers" felt that it was 
Mr. Farlin alone who had saved Butte from oblivion; 




Hydraulic Mining 

others had done nobly in a smaller way but none to 
such an extent as he. 

William J. Parks. — There were a number of men 
who had claims up around what we now call Ana- 
conda Hill. Only one was at first worked. This 
was owned by a man named William J. Parks. It 
was the Parrot Mine, which has for many years 
been one of Butte's big mines. He would work at 
other things until he could get enough money to buy 
provisions to keep him for a few months, then he 
would work on his claim. After sinking his shaft 155 
feet he came to paying ore. The others who owned 



EARLY QUARTZ DAYS 



203 



adjoining claims then began to work their mines. 
They profited by his hard work and persistence. 

Joseph Ramsdell's smelter. — Butte had also a 
smelter which was one of the first in the Territory. 
It was built in 1866 by Joseph Ramsdell but, as it 
did not pay, work had been suspended and the 




AxAcoxDA Hill 

building was allowed to go to decay. Until a few 
years ago the walls were still standing under the hill 
on which the AYashington Schoolhouse now stands. 

W. A. Clark and Marcus Daly. — About this time 
W. A. Clark moved to Butte and began his career; 
the next year after, Marcus Daly came. They were 
connected with mining development from the time 
of their arrival. Clark, in 1879, built the first of 
the large smelters; and Daly purchased property 



204 DEVELOPMENT OF THE STATE 

for Eastern capitalists. A dispute over a water right 
caused the unfortunate antagonism* between these 
two men, which afterward for many years kept the 
western part of the State in a pohtical turmoil. 

The Anaconda Mine. — It was Marcus Daly who 
bought the Alice Mine for the Walker Brothers, of Salt 
Lake, in 1876 for $25,000. He left their employ soon 
after and identified himself with another company, 
for whom he bought the Anaconda Mine, in 1881. 
The property at the time was only a prospect but 
he paid $30,000 for it. It w^as bought for a silver 
mine, and it was rich in silver, but before the shaft 
had been sunk far, a vein of copper was discovered 
of such dimensions as to startle the people of the 
camp, and start a new era in mining development. 

2. The Exploration of the Yelloavstone 
National Park 

Stories of a strange land. — The settlers had been 
hearing from time to time wonderful stories of a 
strange region in the vicinity of the Upper Yellow- 
stone. These stories were told by an occasional 
trapper or old mountaineer, but as these men were 
fond of embellishing the truth, not much attention 
was paid to them. After awhile people began to 
wonder if there really were such a region and ex- 
peditions were talked of, as early as 1866, to explore 
the Upper Yellowstone; but at that time the Indians 
in the neighborhood were beginning to be fearful of 
the encroachments of the whites and were inclined 
to be rather hostile, and men were afraid to venture 
into their country without proper military escort. 



YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK 205 

The Folsom party. — In the year 1869, D. E. Fol- 
som, C. W. Cook, and a Mr. Peterson determined 
to go at all hazards. They went and returned un- 
molested. They visited the Grand Canyon, the Falls 
of the Yellowstone, the Yellowstone Lake, and the 
Lower Geyser Basin. These phenomena were so 
wonderful and strange to them that they hesitated 
to tell what they had seen, thinking that their word, 
too, might be doubted. To a few of their friends only 
they told the whole story and these friends planned 
to go at a later date and see for themselves these 
wonders. 

The Washburn party. — In 1870 quite an exten- 
sive party was organized. The men of this party 
were Henry D. Washburn, Cornelius Hedges, Samuel 
T. Hauser, Warren C. Gillette, Benjamin Stickney, 
Walter Trumbull, Truman C. Evarts, and Nathaniel 
P. Langford. General Washburn was chosen leader 
of the expedition. Five soldiers under Lieut. G. 
C. Doane of the 2nd U. S. Cavalry accompanied 
4:bem. 

The wonders of the Yellowstone. — They pro- 
ceeded from Bozeman up the Yellowstone, past the 
Mammoth Hot Springs to the Grand Canyon. They 
were filled with wonder and awe at the sight of the 
Grand Canyon and Falls, the boiling springs, the 
sulphurous mountain, and the mud geyser, and Mr. 
Langford said that the Lake seemed to them to be 
the most beautiful body of water in the world. x\bout 
two weeks was spent in making a tour around the 
Lake, during which time they had many thrilling 
adventures. 



206 DEVELOPMENT OF THE STATE 

A man lost. — Their most serious adventure was 
that of losing one of their number, Mr. Evarts. He 
was not found until about a month after the return 
of the expedition. Two experienced trappers and old 
mountaineers found him about seventy-five miles 
from Fort Ellis. Mr. Langford says in his diary: 
"The narrative of Mr. Evarts, of his thirty-seven 
days sojourn in the wilderness, furnishes a chapter 
in the history of human endurance, exposure, and 
escape, almost as incredible as it is painfully instruc- 
tive and entertaining." This narrative was pub- 
lished in Scribner's Magazine for November, 1871, 
and in Volume V of the Montana Historical Society 
Publications. 

Geysers. — After leaving the Lake, where they 
missed Mr. Evarts, their whole thought was to reach 
home as soon as possible, as the provisions were be- 
coming low and they were anxious to reach civili- 
zation in order to send out help to the lost man. 
They had decided to do no more exploring, but on 
their way, as they were searching for the Upper 
Valley of the Madison, they came upon the Fire 
Hole River with all its w^onders. They were amazed! 
They had seen innumerable boiling springs and pools 
of both mud and water, but now for the first time 
they were gazing at real geysers. 

A national park. — It was not to be wondered 
at that these explorers might have schemes for 
making from these wonders of nature some personal 
gain. There was much discussion among them on 
the subject, until finally a thought was presented 
by Mr. Hedges that the whole region be set apart 



MONTANA'S EARLY GOVERNORS 207 

as a great national park, and that each one of them 
ought to make an effort to have this accomphshed. 
This idea had also been suggested by David E. 
Folsom of the first expedition. Mr. Langford says: 
'*The bill for the creation of the Park was introduced 
into the House of Representatives by Hon. William' 
H. Clagett, delegate from Montana Territory. . . . 
It is true that Professor Hayden (of the U. S. Geo- 
logical Survey) joined with Mr. Clagett and myself 
in working for the passage of the act of dedication, 
but no person can divide with Cornelius Hedges and 
David E. Folsom the honor of originating the idea of 
creating the Yellowstone Park." 

3. Montana's Early Governors 

The first governors. — The governors who were in 
office after Sidney Edgerton, and during the early 
quartz days were General Francis Meagher, Green 
Clay Smith, J. M. Ashley, and Benjamin F. Potts. 

General Francis Meagher. — General Meagher suc- 
ceeded Sidney Edgerton. He w^as in reality only the 
acting governor, and his term was short. While 
in Fort Benton, attending to the affairs of the Terri- 
tory, he fell from the deck of a s teamboat and was 
drowned. 

Green Clay Smith. — The next governor was 
Green Clay Smith who held office for three years. 
During this time Governor Smith had the Territory 
thoroughly examined by scientific men who gave 
reports upon its minerals and agricultural possibilities. 

J. M. Ashley. — Governor J. M. Ashley was ap- 
pointed in 1869. He had been interested in the 



208 DEVELOPMENT OF THE STATE 

West for some years, having been chairman of the 
Committee of Territories while he was in Congress. 
It was he who had introduced the bill for the organ- 
ization of Montana Territory in February, 1863, and 
who had suggested the name Montana. When Ashley 
became governor his family came out to the Terri- 
tory by rail as far as Ogden, and from there to 
Helena by stage. These stage rides were full of dis- 
comforts, especially for little folks, for the stages 
were nearly always crowded. During this ride one of 
the little boys was squeezed in between two grown 
persons on a seat far too narrow, while his brothers 
were seated on trunks outside. 

Benjamin F. Potts. — Governor Ashley was in 
office not longer than two years when he w^as removed 
for political reasons, and Benjamin F. Potts was ap- 
pointed to succeed him. Governor Potts held the 
office by reappointment until January, 1883. His 
was the longest administration of any governor in 
Montana, and during that time the Territory devel- 
oped rapidly from a mining country to one of many 
resources. 

4. Building of Railroads 

Railroads a novelty. — Twenty years the people of 
Montana had been without a railroad. This was not 
the hardship in those days that it would be to us now. 
Railroads were almost a novelty at the time that gold 
was discovered in Montana, for the first one in the 
United States had not been built until 1830. There 
were many places in the East which had not rail 
connections. The people were quite used to traveling 



BUILDING OF RAILROADS 



209 



by stage-coach, but even so it was not pleasant or 
restful. 

The first Montana railroad. — The first Montana 
railroad came up from the south. It was a branch of 
the Union Pacific connecting with that line at Ogden, 
Utah. It was a narrow gauge and went as far as- 




Copyright, L. A. Huffman 

A "Jerk-Line Twelve" 

Garrison where a year later it connected with the 
Northern Pacific. There was great dissatisfaction 
with the new road, for such exorbitant freight rates 
were charged that many of the merchants and others 
who sent goods by freight had to go back to the old 
teaming methods, finding it cheaper to ship their 
goods by private teams to and from the Union Paci- 
fic. The building of the Northern Pacific in 1883 



210 DEVELOPMENT OF THE STATE 

was a great relief to them, for with the rise of com- 
petition the rates became cheaper, and the new route 
was more direct. 

The Northern Pacific. — The Northern Pacific 
Company was formed by a number of New England 
men. They did not accomphsh much until 1869 
when they succeeded in interesting in it a large 
banking firm, J. Cooke and Company, which was 
considered one of the strongest firms in the country. 
Through the influence of this firm the new road was 
given an immense land grant from Congress. As far 
as the road continued they were allowed a number of 
miles on each side of the road, making a strip of land 
sixty miles wide in the States and one hundred miles 
wide in the Territories, from St. Paul to the Pacific 
Coast. Such an immense amount of land for one 
company! A great panic occurred in 1873 and much 
to the surprise of everybody this strong banking 
firm failed, and the Northern Pacific Company was 
bankrupt. The controlling interest of all transpor- 
tation facilities at the Pacific terminal of the road, 
which they had obtained through the influence of 
this firm, was now lost. 

Billings and Villard. — Nothing further was done 
until 1879 when Frederick Billings became president 
of the road. He secured money enough to finish the 
construction of it. Another influential man then 
became interested. This was Henry Villard. He 
was working for his ow^n interests. For himself he 
bought the transportation facilities in Oregon and 
formed the Oregon Railway and Navigation Company, 
building a road up the south bank of the Columbia, 



BUILDING OF RAILROADS 211 

and succeeded in inducing the Northern Pacific Com- 
pany to use it. He tried to make them agree not to 
build another road parallel to his, but he was unsuc- 
cessful in this. His next move was to purchase 
enough stock in the Northern Pacific to obtain a 
controlling interest. Then he had his ot\tl way and- 
in 1881 he became the president of the road. 

The golden spike. — \Mien the road was finished 
through Montana a golden spike was driven near 
the station of Garrison in celebration of the great 
event. On this day in 1883 a special train filled with 
people of prominence from all over the Territory was 
sent to Garrison for the occasion. Speech making 
and feasting accompanied the exercises of the driv- 
ing of the spike. 

Commercial effect of the railroad. — The building 
of the railroad did more than connect the Montana 
people with the outside world, it brought them more 
in touch with each other. It gave the small towns in 
the Territory an opportunity to share in the pros- 
perity of the more fortunate towns. It gave the 
farmers a chance, too. It developed the resources 
of the whole Territory. 

Ending of navigation of the Missouri. — The 
building of the railroad made another great change. 
The history of the Missouri River in Montana as a 
navigable stream came to an end, not because it was 
no more navigable but because the railroads were 
so much better able to handle the business. 

The Great Northern railway. — A few^ years later 
the Great Northern was built across Montana. This 
developed the northern part of the state. It made 



212 DEVELOPMENT OF THE STATE 

a town at the Great Falls of the Missouri and it 
saved the town of Fort Benton from oblivion. Fort 
Benton had been for twenty years the business 
center of Montana and the stopping of the boat lines 
had been a sad blow to the town. 

^'Jim Hill's Road." — The Great Northern was 
known as ''Jim Hill's Road." It ran from St. 
Paul to the Pacific Coast, parallel with the Northern 
Pacific, but a hundred miles or more to the north. 
It entered Montana through the Missouri Valley 
where old Fort Union used to be, but it left 
the Missouri at the mouth of the Milk River and 
went up that valley, crossing the mountains bj^ the 
Marias Pass. The road was not finished to the 
coast until 1893, but it had reached Helena in 
1887. The building of this road was quite remark- 
able because it was so well managed. Other trans- 
continental roads had all sorts of financial troubles 
but this one was built without any State or Govern- 
ment land grant. When Mr. Hill took it in charge 
there was a debt of thirty million dollars to be over- 
come, but during all his management the road never 
once ''defaulted the interest on its bonds or passed 
a dividend." 

5. Agricultural Valleys 

Early farmers. — There had been a few farms 
since almost the first, when it had been discovered 
that everybody was not going to get rich bj^ find- 
ing gold. Those who were unsuccessful in locating 
a good claim tried their hand at some occupation 
which would be useful to the successful miners. All 



AGRICULTURAL VALLEYS 213 

had to have butter, eggs, milk, meat, and vegetables, 
and the one who ^yould raise these necessities was 
eagerly patronized. 

The Bitter Root Valley. — The first farms were in 
the Bitter Root Valley at Stevensville. A few men 
who lived at Fort Owen or near there planted the 
first crops and took the first fruit up the valley and 




Copyright, L. A, Hoffman 

Sheep at the Rr'er 

over into the Big Hole Country to the mines. 
Thomas W. Harris was the first man in the Bitter 
Root to take up farming as a business. The mis- 
sionaries had had a farm there for ten or more years 
before Mr. Harris planted his first crops, but their 
object was merely to raise enough for their existence, 
and to teach the Indians farming methods. Mr. 
Harris farmed on a small scale at Fort Owen until 
1863, when he moved to Three Mile. There he 



214 DEVELOPMENT OF THE STATE 

planted his orchard in 1866. His trees did fairly 
well, but he was not as successful as were the Bass 
Brothers who planted their orchard in 1870 at Ste- 
vensville. It took some ten years to make fruit grow- 
ing a paying business, but once started it gained for 
the Bitter Root Valley a name of which it is justly 
proud. There were a few farmers at Hell Gate, a 
small town now abandoned, which stood about five 
miles below the present Missoula. 

Missoula. — In 1864 a saw-mill was built on the 
present site of Missoula. This was followed by a 
grist-mill and the place was called Missoula Mills. 
This was in the same year that Stevensville was 
established as a town. Before that Stevensville had 
been known merely as Major Owen's Trading Post. 

The Upper Columbia Basin. — The Bitter Root 
Valley was a part of the Upper Columbia Basin. 
There were three valleys in this basin: the Bitter 
Root, the Missoula (Hell Gate), and the Flathead. 
As the latter was the reservation for the Flathead 
and Pend d'Oreille Indians it was not developed as 
the other two were, although it was quite as fertile. 

The Deer Lodge Valley. — The Deer Lodge Valley 
was up in the mountains at the head of the Missoula 
Valley. It was an important agricultural section in 
the early days but it suffered in later years from the 
mines and smelters of Butte and Anaconda. The 
beautiful little Deer Lodge River became a gray 
muddy stream; the fish which had been one of its 
chief attractions sought other streams and the water 
was unfit for irrigating purposes. Although there 
are still large farms in the Deer Lodge Valley, it 



AGRICULTURAL VALLEYS 



21^ 



might have developed into a much more productive 
region had it not been for the smelters. 

Eastern valleys. — Good agricultural valleys were 
found on the eastern side of the mountains in the 
Missouri Basin. These were the Yellowstone, the 
Gallatin, the Madison, the Jefferson, the Sun River, 
the Judith, and the Prickly Pear Valleys. Of these 
the Gallatin was the most productive. More atten- 




Copyright L. A. Huff nan 

Ax Old Time Cattle Ranch 

tion was given there to the raising of grains, espe- 
cially barley. 

Montana products. — An old almanac which was 
printed in Virginia City in 1869 saj^s, ''These valleys, 
as well as many others throughout the Territory, 
are thickly settled for a new country, with thrifty 
and enterprising farmers, whose fields produce abun-^ 
dantly of wheat, barley, oats, etc., and whose cattle, 
winter and summer, literally fatten on a thousand 
hills, without shelter or other food than the moun- 
tain grasses. It was at first thought that agriculture 
would be confined to the bottom lands, but expe- 
rience has proven that its area is only circumscribed 



216 



DEVELOPMENT OF THE STATE 



by the limits of water for irrigation. ... In the 
Bitter Root and Hell Gate Valleys, which are the 
oldest agricultural districts, orchards have been 
brought to a point of production and are expected to 
bear largely this season. . . . Seven flouring mills, 
three in Gallatin, two in Missoula, one in Lewis and 




Copyright L. A. Ilajjman 



A Ranch Interior 



Clark, and one in Madison [Counties], produced 
about 250,000 sacks of flour [in 1869]. This flour 
from Montana wdieat is equal to the best imported 
and gives conclusive evidence of self-sustaining agri- 
cultural capacity." 

These old reports, some of them issued by the 
Government and others by local newspapers, are 
interesting for they show how agriculture and stock- 
raising progressed from year to year until at the end 



STOCK-RAISING 217 

of the century there were farms in all the valleys of 
the State; Montana apples and strawberries became 
famous, and the farmers found that by diligence and 
proper irrigation almost anything could be raised 
that would grow in the temperate zone. 

6. Stock-raising 

Horses. — Farming was too slow an occupation 
for many of the settlers and some of the unsuccessful 
miners found even other avenues to success. One 
man saw an opening in taking care of the horses of 
the prospectors. He kept them in a herd a few miles 
out of town, bringing them in whenever thej^ were 
needed. To this herd he added horses of his own 
until it grew into a ranch. Later on another horse 
rancher joined him and together they maintained 
the old ''V. F." ranch, which was well known in all 
that country for many years. Thej^ needed horses 
back East in those days, as many horses had been 
killed in the war. They needed them in the army, 
and they needed them at home to work on the 
farms, and for other domestic uses. 

Another man who raised horses shipped them down 
the Missouri by boat. When the hay gave out the 
crew would have to hunt along shore for something 
for the horses to eat. This was not very hard after 
they reached the part of the country where there 
were farms, as any one was glad to exchange hay for 
gold dust; but in the Upper Country sometimes 
there was nothing but Cottonwood boughs to give 
them. The horses never suffered for food and were 
fat enough for market when port was reached. 



218 



DEVELOPMENT OF THE STATE 



Cattle. — Other men engaged in cattle-raising. 
Those who had come across the country remembered 
the grassy plains where their stock had had plenty 
of fattening food, remembered that the buffalo thrived 
on these grasses and lived through the winters with 
no protection. They rightly thought that cattle also 




Copyright by L. A. Huffman 

The Old ''OX" Cow Camp 

could live just as the buffalo had. So they tried 
it with a few head, and these did so well that more 
were added and then thej^ began turning them out 
into the open stretches of country and soon more 
tried it until there were cattle all through the Yellow- 
stone Valley, the Big Hole, and the Missouri. Sum- 
mer and winter the cattle looked after themselves; 
they were not used for milking but were like wild 



STOCK-RAISING 219 

animals. It seems strange to think that with those 
thousands of cows there was no milk to be had on 
the home ranches of the stock farms. Condensed 
milk and shipped-in butter were used exclusively. 
It was not necessary for the stockmen to own much 
land; all thej^ had to do was to find a good pas- 
ture with running w^ater, which they occupied with 
their cattle. It was only necessarj^ to actually own 
enough on which to build the houses for their crews. 
This was what they called the home ranch. Under 
these convenient conditions the industry flourished 
and the cattlemen in a few jxars found themselves 
rich. 

Branding cattle. — All owners of cattle were re- 
quired by law to have them branded. This was 
done at the general round-ups which occurred two 
or three times a year. These round-ups were a great 
saving of time and expense, because as the herds 
spread over considerable territory it was not con- 
venient for owners to hunt up singly their cattle in 
order to sell or brand them. For that reason the 
owners co-operated and drove all the cattle within 
their territories to common centers. Here the cattle 
all being together it was easy for the cow-boys to 
''cut-out" those of their own herds. The calves 
were then branded, the fat cattle meant for market 
were driven into corrals, and the others turned loose 
again until the next round-up. Every few days a 
different district was included until the whole range 
had been gone over. These districts were divided 
into smaller ones averaging ten to twelve miles, 
which could be rounded up in a day. 



220 DEVELOPMENT OF THE STATE 

Imported cattle. — The first cattle were brought 
in from the South. They were Texas cattle and were 
accustomed to range life; then other breeds were 
imported from the East, Durhams, Herefords, and 
others. The mixture made a very good breed well 
able to stand the rigors of the climate and produce 
desirable beef. These thrived so w^ell that Eastern 



* • / 










'sm wt^^yimm 



Sheep in Custer County 

capitalists became interested, invested in cattle, and 
sent them out to Montana. This was the more easily 
done then for they could be shipped out by rail. 
So many were shipped out that at last the ranges 
became overstocked. 

A severe winter. — The overstocking of the range 
would not in itself have been a drawback as there 
were still more remote valleys where all could have 
ranged, but there came a severe winter with much 
snow which had followed an extremely dry summer. 
The cattle were not able to stand the severe weather 



STOCK-RAISING 221 

and tens of thousands perished. This was the winter 
of 1886-7. The capitaHsts were so discouraged that 
many sold out at any price they could get, and the 
effect was that the market was nearly ruined, and 
the evil effects were felt for several seasons. The 
cattlemen had been taught a lesson. They saw' 
that they would do well to care for the younger and 
weaker stock during the heaviest part of the winter. 
Those who stayed with the business in time over- 
came their losses and many became cattle kings of 
the State. 

Sheep. — On the free range there was often fric- 
tion between the cattle and sheep owners. ''The 
two kinds of animals cannot graze on the same area. 
A band of sheep will make a range unfit for cattle 
and will drive the latter out." Sheep crop the 
grass short, they leave nothing in their path, every- 
thing goes before them, weeds, grass, and small brush. 
A lane through which a band of sheep has passed 
looks as though it had been mowed with a scythe. 
''They leave an odor, too, which cattle cannot en- 
dure; the latter will not even water at a spring where 
a flock of sheep has just watered." 

The first flocks. — In spite of these drawbacks 
many people raised sheep, for there was a great deal 
of money in the business. The first flocks were 
brought into Montana by the Jesuit missionaries 
who were teaching the Indians all branches of agri- 
culture. According to one record they were raising 
sheep as early as 1857. One of the later settlers 
brought in a flock of five hundred in the summer of 
1867. It was driven from the Pacific Coast to the 



222 DEVELOPMENT OF THE STATE 

Prickly Pear Valley in Montana. No provision was 
made to feed or shelter them through the winter and 
they all perished. The first failure did not discour- 
age the stockmen but the progress for the first ten 
years was slow. 

California flocks. — The original sheep of the 




Copyright, L. A. Huffman 



Sheep Shearing 



West w^ere Mexican; they were taken into California 
and there crossed w^ith some brought from China. 
As California was filled up with settlers, the fiocks 
were driven into neighboring states to pasture, and 
back again for the shearing. But eventually many 
of these were driven off for good. In ''The Flock," 
a very readable book on sheep-raising in California, 
by Mary Austin, we read that ''Sanger, when he 
drove his sheep to Montana in '70, went up like a 



STOCK-RAISING 223 

patriarch with his family in wagons, his dogs and 
his herders, his milch cows, his saddle horses, and 
his sheep in bands. When they came by living 
springs there they pitched the camp; when they 
found fresh pastures there they halted." In 1880, 
T. Clowes Miles, who was for many years a rancher 
near Silver Bow, brought a band of sheep up to 
Montana from the San Joaquin Valley in California. 

Montana wool. — The sheep industry progressed 
so rapidly that in 1893 Montana was given seventh 
place in the list of wool producing states, and in 
1896 she had more sheep and produced more wool 
than any other State or Territory. She was also 
''accredited with raising the best wool of any of the 
so-called Territory-States, and the grade of flocks 
was being continuously improved." 

Stock-centers. — Thus developed the three branches 
of stock-raising, horses, cattle, and sheep. The valleys 
of the Missouri River tributaries came into promi- 
nence and a number of new towns were built. As 
the Northern Pacific Railroad ran through almost 
its whole length the Yellowstone became the most 
important Valley, and Miles City, Billings, Big 
Timber, and Livingston developed into stock-centers 
and shipping points. Bozeman, which was just over 
the divide from Livingston, was also an important 
center, but it was not a new town, as the others 
were. A number of cattlemen who had accumulated 
wealth on the range made their home in Helena 
which was also on the main line of the Northern 
Pacific. In this way Helena became a city of wealth 
and influence. The Territorial capital was changed 



224 



DEVELOPMENT OF THE STATE 



from Virginia City to Helena in 1874, but it was not 
made the permanent capital until after Montana 
was made a State. 




Copy rigid bj/ L. A. Huffman 

Hauling Wool to the Warehouse 



7. Development of Rich Mixes 

The Butte mines. — With the increased railroad 
facilities came the further growth of towns. The 
old placer fields, with their surrounding country, 
w^ere well prospected for quartz, and where the leads 
were found the towns grew up around them, espe- 
cially where they were on a line of the railroad. At 
Butte, the Anaconda Mines were proving so rich 
and extensive, that it was known that there must be 
many neighboring claims which would be equal to 
them. In a short time all these neighboring claims 
were taken up, and the Anaconda Hill was turned 



DEVELOPMENT OF RICH MINES 



225 



into a large mining area with shaft houses and other 
mining buildmgs well covering it. Miners' boarding 
houses here and there were the only inhabited houses. 
The ground underneath the surface was honey- 
combed with tunnels, and there was as much timber 
underground, holding up the walls of the mines, as 
there was in all the buildings in the town. The dis- 



■fB 


^ 


±fe 




m 


^i^) f i^j^BI^B 


Jjmfm^::. t 


h^mSf^P'"^' ^ ^^II^OSS'^ 



A Mixer's Cabin in Butte 

covery of so many rich mines gave opportunities for 
the building of smelters, and the twenty years fol- 
lowing was an area of great activity in all branches 
of mining and smelting industries. It was a proud 
day for Butte when she was proclaimed the greatest 
mining camp in America. 

Silver mines. — Philipsburg with her silver mines 
was a lively camp until the fall in the price of silver, 
when the mine and mill were closed waiting for 
better conditions. Neihart, a silver camp near Great 



226 DEVELOPMENT OF THE STATE 

Falls, which is a later discovery than Philipsburg, was 
not so handicapped, partly because of the quality 
of the ore and also because other kinds of ore were 
found in connection with the silver. 

Gold mines. — The gold quartz mines near Helena 
were not as fleeting as the placers. They are still 
rich properties, and the little town of Marysville 
where they are situated is a thriving place. 

8. Later Governors 

Five governors. — In the six years following the 
long administration of Benj. F. Potts, the Territory 
had five governors. These were J. Schuyler Crosby, 
B. Piatt Carpenter, S. T. Hauser, Preston Leslie, and 
Benj. F. White. Of these governors Preston Leslie 
served the longest term, three years. Governor 
White's term was only from spring until the end of 
the year, for at that time, 1888, the Territory was 
made a State and the people had a right then to 
name their own governor. 

9. Montana a State 

Constitutional Convention. — When the population 
of Montana was large enough, the people began to 
think of having their own State Government. They 
held a convention in January of 1884, in Helena, and 
drafted a Constitution. This Constitution was voted 
upon at the election that year, and the people sub- 
mitted the Constitution to Congress. It was five 
years before Congress allowed Montana to become a 
State. 



MONTANA A STATE 



Pt7'- 



Montana a state. — On the 22nd of February, 
1889, the President of the United States signed the 
EnabHng Act, and the Constitutional Convention 
met again on July -Ith, and were in session until 
August 19th. ''The Constitution then framed was 




Copyright, L. A. Eufmaii 



Real Cowboys 



approved by the people at a special election in Octo- 
ber, and on the 8th of November was issued the proc- 
lamation recognizing Montana as one of the galaxy 
of states." (Quotation from Davies' " Civics of 
Montana.") 

State governors. — The governors since Montana 
was made a state have been Joseph K. Toole, John 



228 DEVELOPMENT OF THE STATE 

E. Rickards, Robert B. Smith, Joseph K. Toole 
for a second and third term, Edwin L. Norris, and 
Samuel V. Stewart. 

Governor Norris was in office during the movement 
for conservation. He used his best efforts to obtain 
for Montana every advantage to be gained by the 
new system. 



PART IX 
TRANSFORMATION OF THE INDIANS 

1. Treaties 

Governor Stevens. — The wise and friendly talks 
that Governor Stevens had with the Indians, in those 
two visits that he made to their country, did a great 
deal to make the Indians reconciled to the coming of 
the white men. When we remember how the Mon- 
tana Indians fought each other and allowed no en- 
croachment upon their territory from even their own 
race, we may know that they would not have en- 
dured the coming of the white men, if they had not 
been led to look upon the conditions in a more reas- 
onable light. No doubt the security that the Mon- 
tana people enjoyed and the freedom from massacres 
and individual attacks was the result of these con- 
ferences with Governor Stevens. 

General Meagher and William Hamilton. — In 
1865 another council was held in the Blackfoot 
country. 

This was after Montana had been made a Terri- 
tory. General Francis Meagher was the acting- 
governor, in the absence of Governor Edgerton. He 
went to Fort Benton to talk with the Indians about 
keeping peace, as they were still having more or 
less fighting among the tribes. It is hard for a people 



230 TRANSFORMATION OF THE INDIANS 

who have been so warHke to change suddenly into 
peaceable, law-abiding tribes. The settlers objected 
to these battles because they often happened in the 
part of country through which the miners and freight- 
ers had to pass, and the settlers sometimes suffered 
as much as the Indians did. 

This council was held in Fort Benton in Septem- 
ber, 1865. The man who was most useful to General 
Meagher and the commissioners at that time was 
William T. Hamilton, one of the old trappers who 
had lived in that part of the country for about 
fifteen years. He went with an Indian scout, a Pie- 
gan, to look up the different tribes, and ask them to 
come to Fort Benton to the council. In George Bird 
Grinnell's ''Beyond the Old Frontier," we find an 
account of the trip these two took through the 
Indian country, and it shows us how cautiously they 
had to move for fear they might run upon a war 
party and be killed. It also shows how expert those 
mountain men were in finding out when there had 
been Indians in their vicinity, and in being able to 
dodge around and keep under cover so they would 
not be discovered by scouts of other parties. 

In the account of the council we find the name of 
Little Dog, the Piegan chief, who was one of the 
chiefs at the council of 1855. William Hamilton 
says that Little Dog was the bravest and noblest 
chief living at that day. He was a friend of the 
whites, and had killed four of the under chiefs of 
his tribe for warring against the whites. 

The day of the council he again proved himself 
a friend; for after the council some of the Indians 



RESERVATIONS 231 

had bought some whisky and had become quarrel- 
some. Little Dog was afraid thej^ might harm the 
whites. Hamilton went around to all the Indian 
villages camped around the town and warned the 
chiefs that they must keep their young men quiet; 
and Little Dog went to all his people and those 
others that he knew and told them that if they 
caused any trouble that they would have him to 
fight. In the end they all calmed down and no one 
was hurt. The treaty made was as well kept as we 
could expect at that time. But the tribes were 
more or less belligerent up to the time that the 
soldiers arrived in the territory. 

2. Reservations 

Their own valleys. — By the agreement with 
Governor Stevens the Indians were to keep their 
own valleys, except when they had to go elsewhere 
to hunt. The war parties were to be given up. 
The Flatheads were to be allowed to pass through 
the Blackfoot country into the Yellowstone without 
being molested. All the Indians were to have the 
same homes that they had been having, with the 
exception of the Flatheads and the Pend d'Oreilles. 

Flatheads and Pend d'Oreilles. — These two tribes 
occupied the most fertile valleys in Western Mon- 
tana, and Governor Stevens foresaw that at least 
one of these valleys w^ould be coveted by farmers 
before many years were over, and either valley had 
ample room for both tribes. The Indians them- 
selves could not decide which valley to choose for 
neither wanted to give up its own valley, although 



232 TRANSFOR]VL\TION OF THE INDIANS 

either tribe would gladly welcome the other. The 
Indians finally consented to have a survey taken of 
both valleys and allow the Government to decide 
which would make the better reservation. 




Pexd d' Oreille Indl^ns 

The survey postponed. — Sixteen years passed 
before this survey was made and in the meantime 
the Indians became so distrustful of the Government, 
that when the survey was at last made, and it was 
deemed advisable for the Flatheads to move to 
the Jocko Reservation, they refused to go. They 
had accepted the silence of the Great Father at 



RESERVATIONS 233 

Washington as a consent to allow them to remain in 
the Bitter Root Valley; some of them had productive 
farms, the mission school and the church had been 
built, and they were reluctant to give up their 
home. 

In the meantime Victor and Alexander had died, ' 
and Chariot and Michelle were the chiefs of the two 
tribes. This difficulty about the land did not affect 
Michelle's band, the Pend d'Oreilles, for thej^ had 
always lived upon the Jocko and in the Flathead 
Valley; but it was Chariot's people, the Flatheads 
proper, who had always lived in the Bitter Root, 
who were now being forced to go upon the Jocko. 

A council with the commissioner. — In 1872 a 
special commissioner was sent out to come to an 
agreement with the Flatheads. Chariot, with his sub- 
chiefs, Arlee and Adolf, and some of the most im- 
portant men of the tribe, held a consultation with 
the commissioner, and agreed to go with him to look 
at the land and see if a suitable place could be found 
for them. They preferred to be near the mill, and 
they thought that there was enough available land 
near the agency. An agreement was drawn up and 
signed by Arlee and Adolph, but Chariot refused to 
sign it. It was not his will that his people should 
go. The commissioner then made a bad mistake. 
Feeling confident that Chariot would come to terms 
he proceeded as though he had signed it. When 
Chariot realized what had been done, he lost faith 
in the Government. He and a few of his followers 
refused to leave; the few^ who went were put in 
charge of Arlee on the Jocko. 



234 TRANSFORI\L\TIOX OF THE INDIANS 

Chariot goes to the Jocko. — Finally, after Arlee's 
death, Chariot went with the remainder of his band. 
He had had a great deal to do with the whites 
meanwhile and thus grew to have more faith in the 
government. 

The Indians usually friendly. — As long as the 
settlers stayed in the part of the country away from 
the tribal homes there was no trouble. But it was 
hardly possible to stay away altogether, especially 
from the country of the Crows. The Yellowston-e 
was a large valley and oftentimes it was necessary 
for the settlers to pass through the valley. 

The Crows. — Although the Crows were friendly 
to the whites they had one bad trait which was con- 
tinually showing itself — even to their friends. They 
were the biggest thieves of all the Montana Indians, 
and occasionally when they had stolen horses or 
other things from travelers there would be trouble, 
which sometimes ended fatally. 

Hostile Sioux and Cheyennes. — At other times 
the Indians met with in the Yellowstone were Sioux 
and Cheyennes who were hostile to everybody, even 
the Crows. Oftentimes the Crows were blamed for 
crimes which were committed by these other Indians. 
The truth was that the Crows suffered at the hands 
of these Indian invaders more than the white men 
did. 

Killing of J. M. Bozeman. — One dreadful tragedy 
stirred the people at this time, because the victim was 
a man who had been active in public works. This 
man, J. M. Bozeman, had done much for Montana 
in the earlier days of her existence. He opened up 



RESERVATIONS 235 

a wagon road from the States to Montana, through 
the Yellowstone country. Although the road had 
to be abandoned later, because of the hostility of 
the Indians, it had been a great help to emigrants 
because it had been a much shorter way. 

Bozeman and Thomas Coover were camping on 
the Yellowstone in April of 1867. They were cook- 
ing a meal when five Indians came up to their camp. 
The men, believing them to be Crows, allowed them 
to come up close, when Coover, who had begun to 
suspect from their actions their bad intentions, 
moved toward the river for the horses, to saddle up 
and be in readiness in case the Indians should prove 
unfriendly. As he moved off an Indian fired at him, 
grazing his shoulder. The others, drawing their 
guns from under the buck-skin covers with which 
they had been concealed, shot at Bozeman, killing 
him instantly. Coover escaped into the brush and 
made his waj^ to the main camp. Bozeman's body 
was recovered and he had not been scalped. In 
1869 his body was taken to Bozeman and buried 
there, where some years later a monument was 
erected by Nelson Story, a prominent citizen of that 
town. 

Settlers in the Yellowstone. — After the estab- 
lishment of the military posts, the settlers, inspired 
with a spirit of confidence, began to think of going 
into the Yellowstone to take up ranches, but in spite of 
the military protection, there were still many cases 
of attacks on individuals. One of these, in which one 
of our leading men of the eastern part of the state 
was concerned, proved fatal to some of the party. 



236 TRANSFORMATION OF THE INDIANS 

We are indebted for the story to Mr. S. L. Moore, 
General Freight Agent of the Northern Pacific, who 
heard it from the principal witness, Paul McCor- 
mick of Billings. He was one of a party of nine- 
teen who went down into the Yellowstone in 1875 
in search of a home. While they were building their 
stockade they were continually harassed by the 
Sioux, who carried off most of their horses. One 
morning McCormick and Edwards went out to locate 
the Indians before the party started out on their 
day's search for timber. They were about a mile 
from the stockade, when they rode into a clump of 
tall sage-brush. Here they unexpectedly found the 
object of their search. The Indians opened fire on 
them and Edwards was shot dead. McCormick 
escaped. He rode a fine horse and but for that he 
would never have reached the stockade alive. The 
horse leaped over the high bushes and jumped ditches 
with little effort, and the rider kept his seat through 
it all. When he reached camp the horse fell dead, 
riddled with shots, while his rider was uninjured, 
but from that day his hair was white as snow\ 
When the men went to recover Edwards' body 
the Indians had disappeared. His body was pierced 
with arrows and bullets and he had been scalped. 
He was carried to the stockade and buried there. 
Eight others of the nineteen were eventually killed 
by the Indians. 

Permanent reservations. — After the country was 
permanently settled, the reservations w^ere given 
certain boundaries, and the tribes were each given 
the reservation on which they were required to stay, 



SOLDIERS AND INDIANS 237 

and on which no white man could intrude without 
fear of the law. They were segregated as follows: 

On the Blackfeet Reservation were the Piegans 
with a few of the Blackfeet Proper (sometimes called 
Siksika) and Bloods; on the Fort Belknap were 
Gros Ventres of the Prairie and Assiniboines; on^ 
the Crow were the Crows; on the Jocko were the 
Flatheads, Pend d'Oreilles and Kootenais; and on 
the Tongue River, a few years later, were the North- 
ern Cheyennes, who were connected with Montana 
history during the time of the military conflicts with 
the Sioux, whose allies they were. The Shoshones 
and Bannacks were on Idaho reservations, and those 
Blackfeet tribes not on the reservation were in the 
British possessions. 

3. Soldiers and Indians 

Settlers afraid of Indians. — Even though the 
Montana Indians were quiet, the people were con- 
stantly fearing an invasion from the Indians. Like 
all people when they first went out West, they 
were very much afraid of the Indians. Indeed many 
of them had cause to be, for in coming across the 
plains it was not an unusual event to discover 
the graves of emigrants who had come to their 
death at the hands of the hostile Sioux or Cheyennes; 
and many were the tales they had heard of people 
whose homes had been surrounded and every one 
killed, or of parties of prospectors or hunters who 
had come to their end in the same way. We can 
imagine how the women and children shivered with 
fright when an Indian would come to the win- 



238 TRANSFORIVLVTION OF THE INDIANS 

dow and peer in through the glass, or would come 
to the door asking for ''biscuit/' and how they would 
be terrorized if an Indian should become intoxicated 
and go yelling through the streets. But compared 
with the troubles of other western settlements, 
these Montana pioneers had a very quiet time, for 
the Montana tribes, as tribes, were friendly to the 
whites. 

After the soldiers came and forts w^ere established 
the people felt more secure. We have told in the 
chapter about the soldiers how Major Baker quieted 
the Blackfeet with very little bloodshed. This 
showed the people that our Indians were inclined to 
be peaceable. The presence of the soldiers and forts 
in the Territory showed the Indians that any vio- 
lence would be punished and it convinced them that 
it was good policy to keep peace with the w^hites. 

4. Friendly Chiefs 
Shoshone chiefs. — The first white settlements in 
Montana being in the Shoshone country, these In- 
dians became well known to the people of Virginia 
City, Bannack, and Deer Lodge. Three of the chiefs 
especially became well known: they were Old Snag, 
Tendoy, and Major Jim. Old Snag was the head 
chief of the Shoshones and Major Jim was a Bannack. 
The latter was a war chief. Tendoy was always a 
good friend to the whites. He was w^ise enough to 
perceive that the Indian who was friendly to the 
whites had fewer difiiculties with which to contend 
than had the one who was ever on the war-path. 
Tendoy made several trips to Washington. It was 



FRIENDLY CHIEFS 239 

his information that supphed the material for the 
''Indian Sign Language," pubhshed by the Govern- 
ment. 

Flathead chiefs. — Chariot, who died in 1909, was 
a noted chief among the Flatheads. His was a royal 
family as both his father and grandfather had been 
chiefs before him. Stomus, liis grandfather, was 
also known as Three Feathers or Grizzly Bear. At 
the same time that Stomus was chief of the Flat- 
heads, Hallochs or Bright Coats was chief of the 
Pend d'Oreilles. These two men were great friends, 
for the two tribes were closely related. They went 
hunting together and often were together in battles. 
Hallochs seemed to have some occult powers which 
were quite marveled at by the Indians under him. 
In war times before a battle, he required each of his 
warriors to go into his lodge and bite a bullet, and 
with the bullet make a cross on his breast. They 
believed this would prevent them from being wounded. 
In nearly every case where one failed to do this he 
was struck by a bullet. At one time Hallochs was 
leading a party of his people to hunt the buffalo. 
They crossed the mountains at the head of the Flat- 
head Lake, and were there warned to go back, as 
the Blackfeet were near. Hallochs said that he had 
come to hunt the buffalo, not to fight, and announced 
his intention of going on. Soon coming near to the 
Blackfeet camp, they saw that they must prepare 
for battle, and each bit the bullet to be safe. Two 
of the young men refused to take the precaution, 
thinking it was foolishness. These two were the only 
ones killed in the battle, although the Blackfeet 



240 TRANSFORMATION OF THE INDIANS 

outnumbered the Flatheads ten to one. The Black- 
feet were driven back and the Flatheads went on 
their way. 

When the missionaries came to the Indians, they 
questioned Hallochs concerning his custom of biting 
the bullet. He answered them by saying that that 
was his way of praying; he bit the bullet so that it 
would not bite him. As to the sign of the cross, one 
authority states that the Indians of the Columbia 
River used it in their devotions for many years be- 
fore the missionaries came to the mountains. It is 
possible that they learned it from the French fur 
traders in the early part of the century. Hallochs 
was given the name of Pierre by the Hudson Bay 
Company, and was afterward baptized by the Fathers 
with that name. 

Victor was the son of Stomus. He was the chief 
when the Flatheads were sending delegations to St. 
Louis in search of missionaries. He is also spoken 
of by Governor Stevens in his reports to the Govern- 
ment describing his travels in the Rocky Mountain 
Country. He was much superior to the ordinary 
Indian. Father DeSmet said that his "dignified 
bearing would have graced a princely throne." 

Alexander, the successor of Hallochs, was Victor's 
friend and, like Stomus and Hallochs, these two men 
now led the Flatheads and Pend d'Oreilles through 
all their adventures. 

Little Dog, the Blackfoot. — In the council of 
1855 when Governor Stevens held his council with 
the Blackfeet, Flatheads, and other tribes; and in 
1865 when General Francis Meagher, with the help 



FRIENDLY CHIEFS 



241 



of William Hamilton the fur trapper, held the council 
with the tribes of the Blackfeet, we find the name 
of Little Dog. He was friendly to the white people 
and he made his under chiefs keep peace with them. 




Painted Lodges of the Blackfeet 

Any chief who showed hostile feelings was punished 
with the loss of his life. 

Other tribes. — There were, we know, friendly 
chiefs of other tribes, but their names are not as well 
known to history. Chiefs of the Shoshone and Flat- 
head tribes were better known. 



242 TRANSFORMATION OF THE INDIANS 

5. Francis Leupp and Indian L(Egislation 

The Indian problem of to-day. — Most of the 
people of the United States long ago stopped worry- 
ing about the Indian problem. The Indians were 
quiet on their reservations, and the people felt that 
any question which might arise could be settled by 
Congress without bothering the public. When Francis 
E. Leupp went into the Indian Service as Commis- 
sioner of Indian Affairs he determined to do some- 
thing to change the Indians into something like the 
fine men that their ancestors were. He took several 
ways to bring this about. One was to make the 
Government realize what a wrong it was to the 
Indians to allow them to live in idleness. Another 
was to induce Congress to make new laws which 
would give them more freedom and require them to 
be more independent. Another was to stir the 
Indians up to a desire to be self-supporting. Lastly 
to awaken the American people to the idea that 
the Indians were human beings like themselves, to 
whom they were to extend the hand of fellowship and 
to assist them to be intelligent citizens and an honor 
to their ancestors. 

Condition of the Indians. — In his book on ''The 
Indian and His Problems," Mr. Leupp tells us how 
he worked out some of his schemes and how success- 
ful they were. He also tells of the present condition 
of the Indians, w^hich is a revelation even to many 
who think they know a good deal about the Indians. 
Many of us have felt that this land of ours was by 
rights the property of the Indians and it was no 



FRANXIS LEUPP AND INDIAN LEGISLATION 243 

more than just that we should pay them for it, and 
as we had killed off their game and settled along 
the streams where they had been accustomed to fish 
and gather berries, it was right that we should give 
them food in return for these. Many did not realize 
that while originally the Indians had the game and 
fish and berries j^et they had to work hard to make 
them suitable for their use, and when we give them 
in place of these, meat and fiour and other food stuffs 
that are already prepared, we are, instead of helping 
the Indians, making loafers of them. As Mr. Leupp 
says: ^'Nothing was demanded of the Indians in 
return except that thej^ obey their agents and keep 
quiet. It is true that salaried farmers were sent to 
their reservations to instruct them in agriculture and 
that tools and fencing were offered them as rewards 
for industry; but what was gained by being indus- 
trious if one could live on the fat of the lands with- 
out stirring a muscle in labor.^ Satan's proverbial 
gift for finding mischief for idle hands, to do came 
promptly into play, and the idle hands of the Indians 
soon learned to reach for the whisky bottle. Hence 
came it that a people once vigorous, strong-willed, 
untiring on the trail of anything they wanted, be- 
ca-me debauched by a compulsory life of sloth, and 
within a single generation acquired among the whites 
a reputation for laziness, incompetence and general 
degradation." 

Results of civilization. — Civilizing the Indians 
has seemed a hopeless task. Many of the younger 
ones who were sent away from home to be educated 
returned to their blankets and tepees and took up 



244 TRANSFORMATION OF THE INDIANS 

the old life, and rather than face the ridicule of the 
older or uneducated ones, tried in every way to 
forget all they knew about civilization. But there 
were many others who started new lives apart from 
their old tribes; these, who more readily accepted 
civilization, encouraged the Government and th^ 




The Rising Gexeration 

missionaries to keep on trj^ing in the hope that 
eventually 'Hhe continuous dropping would wear 
away the stone." Now they begin to see the fruits 
of their labors. It only needs patience to at last 
bring all the Indians into their full citizenship. 

Legislation. — Congress has tried at different times 
to better the condition of the Indians by making 
good laws. These laws as time passed have had to 
be changed, for the best plans often were not best 



FRANCIS LEUPP AND INDIAN LEGISLATION ^45 

for the Indians. They now have a law which so 
far has proved successfuL It is called the Burke 
Amendment to the Dawes Act, and it allows the 
allotting of lands in severalty. This means that 
instead of the reservations being owned by the 
tribes as tribes, it is now divided up into portions 
and each Indian as an individual has his own share 
of land. For a certain length of time each Indian 
must be under the care and supervision of the Gov- 
ernment, until he can prove that he is capable of 
managing his own affairs. Before the amendment 
was made each Indian had to wait for a session of 
Congress before he could prove himself able to man- 
age his own lands, but now, since the amendment, 
the point can be decided by the Secretary of the 
Interior and save a good deal of time for the Indian. 
As soon as the Secretary of the Interior thinks he is 
capable he can vote, and is considered a regular citi- 
zen of the United States. 

The surplus land. — ^Mien it was decided to open 
up the reservations the Indians were given the first 
choice of their lands. Every Indian, man, woman 
and child, was given as much land as he or she 
would ever be able to take care of. The reserva- 
tions were so large that after all the Indians had 
had their allotments made there was a great deal 
of surplus land. This land was thrown open to the 
general public and for a while there was a good deal 
of excitement over the opportunity to take up such 
good land. 

Indians at work. — One great difficulty in the 
Indian question is the fact that all Indians do not 



246 TRANSFORMATION OF THE INDIANS 

care to farm. A good many of them do better work 
in other fields of labor. The Crows have become 
interested in farming through their annual agricul- 
tural fair, the Assiniboines make good hay and the 
Blackfeet have been successful at stock-raising, but 
at the same time these Indians have taken so well 
to general work of other kinds, that the men in 
charge of Indian affairs have wondered if perhaps 
they have not made a mistake in trying to make 
farmers of all the Indians. 

G. Indian Farmers 

Resent the new life. — All the Indians at first, 
and even now^ many of them, resented our endeavors 
to teach them the ways of civilization. ''They wanted 
nothing to do with our civilization, thej^ clung to 
the way of their ancestors, insisting that they were 
better than ours." But now they are beginning to 
change. Most of them realize that they must adopt 
our ways if there is to be any peace, and many of 
them are beginning to see the actual advantage in 
the new^ way of life. 

Indian farmers. — Some of the Indians are turn- 
ing their reservations into farming communities. 
The greater part of the new farms in the Flathead 
country are the property of Indians, and the Crows 
have taken a great interest in the, to them, new 
industry. The Crows have always been fond of 
horses, too fond of them in the early days when 
horse-stealing was the custom. It has been natural 
for this liking to turn to stock-raising. 



INDIAN FARMERS 247 

The Crows' annual fair. — The Crows' Agent, a 
few years ago, decided to try a plan to get them 
interested in farming. He suggested that they have 
, a Wild West Show for their own amusement. The 
plan was carried out and they had a gala time for 
two or three years. Then he suggested that they 
have a few agricultural exhibits with it; this too, they 
did, and the few who had raised the crops aroused 
the interest of the others, and then there started a 
little friendly rivalry, which grew every year until 
now the agricultural exhibit is the attraction of the 
fair, and the horse-racing is in the background. No 
gambling or drinking is allowed, but all go to have 
a good time and see which is the best farmer. The 
Indians not only raised the exhibits but they sold 
the tickets, arranged the exhibits, attended to the 
grounds and buildings, collected the fees for selling 
privileges, and managed the refreshment stands and 
lunch counters. They also held the offices of the 
Fair; the President, Secretary and Treasurer, Judges, 
Policemen, and Gate-keepers. Francis Leupp tells 
us that "It is interesting to note that no rations 
have been issued to the Crows since the inaugura- 
tion of these fairs — not a single ration in four years. 
There is less wandering about and more interest in 
home, garden and farm. A spirit of rivalry and 
friendly competition easily takes root in every In- 
dian's natural keenness for sport and this is fostered 
by the annual fair." 

Their only safeguard. — The Indians are follow- 
ing the right path in working their lands, for it is 
the only means whereby they will always have them 



248 TRANSFORMATION OF THE INDIANS 

for their own. Any good agricultural land that is 
unworked is bound to be coveted sooner or later 
by the white men. When the w^hite men see that 
the Indians are really making the best use of the 
land then they will give up all thought of having 
it for themselves. 




CQ 



< 




M ^ 



PART X 

NATIONAL PROBLEMS IN MONTANA 

Three great questions. — ^Yith the coming of the 
Twentieth Century three great questions arose to 
occupy the thoughts of Eastern people. These were 
forestry, the irrigation of arid lands, and farming on 
lands which could never be reached by water. AVhile 
these questions all vitally interested Montana they 
were really national problems too great to be solved 
by one state alone. The development of these ques- 
tions has only begun. It may take years to bring 
them to their greatest power. When that time shall 
arrive there will be lumber enough to supply the 
needs of future generations as well as our own; the 
ranches on the bench lands will be as productive 
as those in the valleys; and there will be no part 
of the state that will not be capable of producing 
good crops, and earning for some one a comfortable 
living. 

1. Irrigation 

Bottom lands first used. — Before 1890 no one 
had thought much about irrigation. It had not 
been necessary. People had come west to the states 
known as the arid states in search of gold. Many 
of them had had no thought of staying to make a 
home. Those who did stay found plenty of land 



IRRIGATION 251 

which was easy to irrigate, in the bottom lands along 
the rivers. The bench lands were used for stock- 
grazing. 

First need of irrigation. — After a few years 
people began to see the opportunity of the West, 
and when they came and took up lands it was neces- 
sary for them to go up on the bench lands. Larger 
and more expensive ditches then had to be made, 
and it was necessary for whole neighborhoods to 
combine, or form some company with capital, in order 
to build the larger ditches. 

The western problem. — A greater problem, in 
the course of time, confronted the settlers. Some of 
the rivers flow in deep valleys far below the level 
of the surrounding plains, and, in order to put water 
upon these higher plains, which contain by far the 
largest area of arable land, it was necessary to divert 
the streams from far up the valleys. This required 
an outlay of capital beyond that of any company 
willing to invest in such propositions. 

Major J. W. Powell. — One of the engineers of 
the War Department, Major J. W. Powell, studied 
this problem of the western people and decided 
that the Government alone was able to handle it. 
He wrote a report, showing how it would be possible 
for the Government to do it. Reports sometimes are 
very uninteresting but this one was an exception. 
One writer has said that it is "one of those rare 
public documents which become classic literature." 

United States Geological Survey. — This report, 
which was entitled ''Lands of the Arid Regions," 
caused Congress to authorize him to study the sub- 



252 NATIONAL PROBLEMS IN MONTANA 

ject still more, so that he could tell them to what 
extent it was possible to reclaim the arid lands by 
irrigation. At first his work was carried on under 
the auspices of the Smithsonian Institute, and later 
under the Department of the Interior. His particu- 
lar department was known as the ''United States 
Geological Survey." Under Major Powell's direction 
the public lands were classified, the streams measured 
and mapped, reservoir sites were discovered and 
explored and all the physical features of the arid 
region were noticed and reported upon. Complete 
maps were made w^hich showed every detail, — the 
elevations above sea-level, the locations of all streams, 
however small, — as well as the towns, roads and 
trails, railroads, canals, boundaries of states and 
counties. 

William E. S my the. — While the survey was going 
on the movement was being pushed in another way. 
William E. Smythe, assistant editor of the Omaha 
Bee, was deeply interested and he tried to bring 
the matter before the public in order to get them to 
consider it seriously. He wrote article after article 
and then started a new magazine called ''The Irri- 
gation Age," and was instrumental in forming the 
"National Irrigation Congress." He was encouraged 
in this work by men of prominence in the Geological 
Survey. 

Hiram M. Chittenden. — In 1897 the people in- 
terested in irrigation were glad to have the help of 
another distinguished engineer of the War Depart- 
ment. This was Major H. M. Chittenden w^ho 
wrote a report entitled "Reservoirs in the Arid 



IRRIGATION 253 

Regions." This was a great help, for the plans that 
he gave were practical ones. 

Legislation for irrigation. — After a few years the 
people of the United States were aw^akened to the 
fact that irrigation was a practical thing, and that 
Congress might pass laws which could provide for the 
reclamation of all the desert land of the far West. It 
was natural that a bill providing for such laws should 
be introduced by a Nevada senator. This man was 
Francis G. Newlands, and the measure that he intro- 
duced into Congress was called the ''Newlands Bill." 

The Newlands Bill. — This measure recommended 
that whenever any lands were sold by the Govern- 
ment to the people taking up homesteads or other 
public lands, the receipts for these sales should be 
put aside into a fund called the ''Reclamation Fund," 
and this money should be used by the Government 
to build irrigation works and for no other purpose. 
After these works were built the settlers who bought 
land in those parts that had been irrigated paid 
extra for their land, enough to cover the cost of the 
irrigating in proportion to the amount of land that 
they bought. This money that they paid back was 
to be used again for some other irrigation project, 
and again and again, until all lands in the United 
States that need it shall eventually be irrigated. 
This arrangement means that the settlers really build 
the irrigation projects; the Government only advances 
the money without interest, and gives the settlers 
time to pay for it. 

Cost of water rights. — The cost of each project 
is divided by the number of acres that it irrigates, 



254 NATIONAL PROBLEMS IN MONTANA 

and whatever that amount is, is added to the $1.25 
per acre which the settler has to pay for his land 
in the first place. No one is allowed to pay water 
right for more than 160 acres in any one project. 
In the case of large landholders like the Northern 
Pacific Railway Company, who have such an extensive 
amount of land in Montana, they also could buy 
water for only 160 acres. In their case it was neces- 
sary for them to divide their land up into small 
tracts and sell them for farms. 

The Reclamation Service. — The department which 
was to have charge of this fund was to be known as 
the Reclamation Service. This really was a con- 
tinuation of the work done by the United States 
Geological Survey. Frederick H. Newell, who had 
succeeded Major Powell at the head of the Geologi- 
cal Survey, was made the head of the Reclamation 
Service ''Mr. Newell stepped into this place familiar 
with every detail of a work in which for years he 
had been the leading spirit." Work was at once 
begun and before a year had passed examinations 
and surveys had been made and ofiicial approval 
been given to five projects in the West. One of 
these was the Milk River Project in Montana. The 
. work was continued still further in Montana and 
several projects were investigated to find their prob- 
able suitability. A selection was then made of those 
considered most desirable, and work was begun on 
six in addition to the Milk River Project. These 
are the Huntley, the Lower Yellowstone, the Sun 
River, the Fort Peck, the Blackfeet, and the Flat- 
head Projects, 



IRRIGATION 255 

The Milk River Project. — This is the largest 
project yet undertaken by the Reclamation Service 
in Montana. It is such an extensive proposition that 
four years were spent in surveying and other pre- 
liminary work before any of the construction was 
begun. It is at the present time far from being com- 
pleted. 

The Milk River is, next to the Yellowstone, the 
longest branch of the Missouri in Montana. It rises 
near the St. Mary's Lakes, in Teton County. It 
flows at first north, running for a part of its course 
through Canada, entering Montana again in the 
northwestern part of Chouteau County and runs in 
a southeastern direction to the Missouri River. The 
Milk River at the present time does not contain suffi- 
cient water to irrigate the full length of the valley, 
in fact a part of the year it contains practically no 
water at all. 

The plan is to make a reservoir of the St. Mary's 
Lakes by building a dam at the foot of the lower 
lake, which will store all the extra water that usually 
runs away in the spring with the melting of the snows. 
This supply of water is to be increased by diverting 
into it the waters of the Swift Current Creek and the 
Red Eagle Lakes. 

From this reservoir a canal is to be built which 
will extend for twenty-eight miles in a northeast 
and east direction and run into the north fork of 
the Milk River. When the river enters Montana 
again this extra water is to be used to irrigate the 
land on both sides of the Milk River from Chinook 
to Glasgow. 



256 NATIONAL PROBLEMS IN MONTANA 

When the project was first considered the Govern- 
ment anticipated that there would be some trouble 
with Canada because of the waters taken from St. 
Mary's Lakes and for fear that after we had built 
these works our waters would be used in the passage 
through Canada. 

Treaty with Canada. — After ten years of debate 
and consideration of the subject a treaty was entered 
into between the two countries in which Canada 
agreed to allow our waters safe passage through their 
country and we agreed to take only the flood waters 
(those that go to waste in the spring with the melt- 
ing of the snows) of St. Mary's Lakes, and any 
waters from streams that we could turn into the 
reservoir. This was an important matter to Canada 
too, because we could take all the waters from the 
St. Mary's Lakes and divert them entirely into our 
own streams if we would, and that would take away 
the main supply of their St. Mary's River which 
flows northeastward into Hudson's Bay. 

Diversion and storage dams. — The work on the 
St. Mary's Reservoir and the canal to the Milk 
River is only one part of the project. After the river 
enters Montana again there is still a large amount of 
work to be done. Dams are to be built across the 
river at Chinook, Dodson, and Vandalia. These are 
called diversion dams for they take the water from 
the river and divert it into ditches that carry the 
water to the land to be irrigated. A storage dam 
is to be built fourteen miles northeast of Malta on 
the south side of the river. This is to be called the 
Nelson Reservoir. It collects the flood, or spring 



DRY-LAND FARMING 257 

water, and holds it until later in the summer when 
the water in the river is low. 

Altogether the project is a stupendous one and 
only a small percentage of it has been completed. 

Sun River Project. — Another difficult project is 
that of the Sun River. Although there are no inter-' 
national questions to be settled, there is the same 
difficulty with costly reservoirs and canals. The soil 
is sandy and easily washed away so that it is necessary 
to build concrete linings to all the large ditches. 

Huntley and Lower Yellowstone Projects. — The 
projects of Huntley and the Lower Yellowstone are 
much simpler, for all that is necessary there is to 
divert the water from the Yellowstone. 

A great deal of land in the Huntley and Lower 
Yellowstone Projects has been opened for settle- 
ment, and wonderful crops of grain, alfalfa and sugar 
beets have been grown. The beet sugar factory at 
Billings makes the raising of sugar beets a desirable 
industry, and a lucrative one. The Yellowstone 
Valley is favorable for alfalfa and an irrigated field 
has to be planted only once; each year the farmer's 
only work is to irrigate and reap his harvest. 

Reservation Projects. — The Fort Peck, the Black- 
foot, and the Flathead Projects are all on Indian 
reservations and will irrigate large tracts of valuable 
farm lands. 

2. Dry-land Farming 

Dry farming. — Dry farming, of which we have 
heard so much in the last few years, is only another 
name for scientific farming on dry lands. We have 



258 NATIONAL PROBLEMS IN MONTANA 

heard of marvelous yields on dry farms, and in order 
to understand why these yields are possible, and also 
to expect the same yields from all dry farms, it is 
advisable for us to study the science of this system 
as it has been explained to us by the men in charge 
of the Montana Agricultural College Experiment 
Station in Bozeman. 

The men who have been most active in the -study 
of scientific farming are F. B. Linfield, the Director 
of the Station, and Alfred Atkinson, the Agronomist, 
or scientific farmer. The Bulletins of the Experi- 
mental Station give a full description of the system 
as they now understand it, and reports of the success 
of the work in different parts of the State. 

Dry Land System Discovered. — There are from 
twelve to fifteen million acres in the State which it 
will be impossible to irrigate because they lie above 
the highest ditches. When the farmers found that this 
land was not able to produce growing crops, they 
were satisfied to leave it for the grazing of stock until 
they heard that one man in Nebraska had discovered 
how to store up in the soil all the moisture that falls 
throughout the year. This discovery was a great 
boon to Montana for in many parts of the State 
the annual rainfall is suflBcient to grow luxuriant 
crops, but a great deal of this rainfall is lost through 
evaporation. This Nebraska man was H. W. Camp- 
bell. He was not the first one to discover the system 
of storing the rainfall, but he invented the implements 
to farm the land under this system. His investiga- 
tions were taken up throughout the West, and Mon- 
tana farmers also tried it with marvelous results. 



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The Great Falls of the Missouri in its Natural State 




The Great Falls of the Missouri on the Completion of the 
Power Development 



260 NATIONAL PROBLEMS IN MONTANA 

The annual rainfall. — The Experiment Station 
has instruments which measure the amount of rain- 
fall. In keeping records of rain, they can tell just 
how much has fallen every year and at what time 
of the year it has come. In some of the western 
states the greatest amount of rainfall is in the winter, 
in some the amount is evenly distributed throughout 
the year, but in Montana the greatest amount is in 
the growing months, April, May, June, and July. 

In order to understand why Montana has not 
enough moisture we must remember that a great 
deal of it is lost through evaporation. '* Summer 
evaporation may amount to three inches a week and 
the whole year's precipitation be evaporated in one 
or two months." 

The principle of dry farming is to check this evap- 
ration and store all the moisture where it will be 
within the reach of the growing plants. 

Conserving the moisture. — The method discovered 
by Campbell is to plow deep, in order to break up all 
hard pieces of ground; then pack this plowed ground 
down firmly so that the moisture in the ground can 
have a soil ladder on which to climb up to the plant 
roots; and then harrow over the top of the ground 
so that the top of the soil will be loose and rough, to 
easily dry out, thereby stopping the rising of moisture 
from below and preventing evaporation. This top 
layer is called a mulch and it does not take up the 
water from below for the same reason that a dry 
sponge will not as quickly absorb moisture as a 
damp one will. The mulch being loose, the rains 
by gravitation sink into the more closely packed 



DRY-LAND FARMING 261 

ground below. Thus the water is taken in and can- 
not escape. 

All ground has a layer of water beneath it. In 
some soils it is only a few inches from the surface, 
in others it is several feet below. The water rises 
from this moisture bed by capillary attraction, spread- 
ing as it rises in all directions, surrounding the roots 
of the plants on all sides. It would be impossible 
for this water to rise or to spread from side to side 
unless the particles were in close contact, forming a 
continuous ladder of particles on which the moisture 
could move. ''If any condition was brought about 
so that the moisture ladder was broken, the rise 
could not go on." "The movement of water through 
a thoroughly dry soil is not as rapid as through the 
same soil when wet." In fact it has been proven that 
water will rise nearly four times as fast in a moist 
soil as in a perfectly dry one. 

Dry farming a success in Montana. — Since 1905 
the Montana Experiment Station has been using dry 
farming methods in various parts of the State. They 
have been assisted by the United States Depart- 
ment of Agriculture and by the Northern Pacific and 
Great Northern Railways in a financial way. The 
Northern Pacific appropriates $2,500 a year, and the 
Great Northern $2,000 a year. They have also been 
assisted by local people in the neighborhood of the 
sub-stations. In some places the stations were so 
far from settlers that men and teams had to be 
hired and farm equipment purchased to carry on 
the experiments. 

They are investigating the farming possibilities of 



262 NATIONAL PROBLEMS IN MONTANA 

the non-irrigated lands to determine what crops and 
what methods of cultivation will give best results. 
Several demonstration farms or sub-experiment sta- 
tions were established at first and their number has 
grown to fourteen. These demonstration farms are 
in widely separated parts of the State, and are lo- 
cated on lands typical of large areas that have not 
been cultivated, and the results achieved show what 
other land in the same neighborhood, w^here condi- 
tions of soil and climate are similar, will produce 
when properly cultivated. 

Although the Experiment Stations have done the 
most extended work, they were not pioneers in dry 
farming in Montana. Several individual farmers 
had taken it up when the system was first made 
known. 

While they have proven that dry farming is a 
success in Montana these men all realize that the 
system is still in the experimental state. There are 
several points that they do not yet understand. 
There is the possibility that the system may be 
used in the future in localities w^here now it seems 
impossible. Indeed, it is now supposed that crops 
may be grow^n, sometime in the future, in any local- 
ity where now the natural vegetation can thrive. 

3. Forestry 

Forestry. — Many people have a prejudiced way 
of looking upon forestry. They think that the 
Government has taken the forest lands away from 
us, and we can use neither the land nor the trees, 
but if we look into the matter we will understand 



FORESTRY 263 

that the forest reserves are great farms which are 
being profitably worked for the people by the Gov- 
ernment, the people having the advantage of the 
crops. Like the irrigation projects, the raising of 
the crops of a forest is too stupendous and expensive 
an undertaking for even large companies to con- 
sider; it must be done by the Government, for a 
crop sometimes takes a hundred years to ripen. 

Forestry and irrigation. — Forestry and irrigation 
go hand in hand in the agricultural development of 
the West. Almost every irrigation project now under 
consideration depends upon the proper protection of 
the forests on the mountains above the water supply. 
These irrigation works are being built for our children 
and grandchildren as well as for ourselves and if 
they are to be preserved in their best condition we 
must first solve the question of how best to pro- 
tect the forests and increase them, for the forests 
lie above the reservoirs and hold the moisture like 
a great sponge and allow the water to flow gradually 
down into the reservoirs. 

This is not a matter which concerns our own 
State alone. We must build reservoirs and conserve 
Montana forests to benefit the arid plains of the 
Dakotas and Nebraska, for those states depend 
partly for the flow of their rivers upon the proper 
treatment of the woodlands on the mountains in 
Montana. 

History of forestry. — We cannot perfectly under- 
stand the history of forestry in our own State until 
we study the conditions that led up to the formation 
of our National Forests. ^Mien people first settled 



264 NATIONAL PROBLEMS IN MONTANA 

in the United States there was an abundance of 
wood for everybody. In fact there was so much 
that the people were careless; they used whatever 
they wanted for themselves with no thought for their 
children and grandchildren. Choice woods were 
used for firewood and fence rails; as a consequence 
we have had to learn to be satisfied with the inferior 
woods for house finishing and for furniture. 

G. P. Marsh. — The first person to try to make 
the people realize the importance of caring for their 
forests was G. P. Marsh of Vermont, a man who 
had held diplomatic positions in Europe. He was 
impressed with the way the foreign countries took 
care of their forests. In 1864 he called the attention 
of the American people to their wasteful ways and 
pointed out to them the good effect that the proper 
care of the forests would have upon the flow of 
streams, our commerce, and other national conditions. 
This was the first suggestion that any one had made 
toward the making of laws to protect the forests. 

Arbor Day. — Another movement which has had 
a tremendous effect was the establishment of Arbor 
Day. ''It was the happy thought of a pioneer settler 
on the treeless plains of Nebraska. By his effort 
Arbor Day was adopted in his State, and on the 
first Arbor Day more than one million trees were 
planted. Since that time more than one billion 
trees have been planted in Nebraska. Once it was 
almost treeless. Now it is a state with millions 
of young growing trees, due almost wholly to the 
Arbor Day planting, started by the Hon. J. Sterling 
Morton in 1872." 



FORESTRY 265 

Timber Culture Act. — One of the first steps in 
forest legislation was what was called the Timber 
Culture Act. By this Act a settler was released from 
some of the requirements of homesteading by plant- 
ing on his claim a certain number of acres of forest 
trees. This was not altogether satisfactory because 
it takes so many years for a tree to mature and be 
useful for mercantile purposes, that it meant the 
giving up of these acres for the entire life of one man. 

Forest Reserves and National Forests. — In 1891 
the law was changed to an act creating Forest Re- 
serves. This was not satisfactory so the law was 
changed again in 1897. This time it was called a 
Proclamation of National Forests. 

There is a difference between a Forest Reserve 
and a National Forest. The first is merely re- 
served for future use and the other is for present 
use, but a restricted one, in which only the merchant- 
able trees are sold, and the ''young stand" is allowed 
to grow until it matures sufficiently. Many people 
do not understand the difference that the law of 
1897 made in the history of the movement, so that 
there is still a good deal of dissatisfaction expressed 
about the large areas kept in the National Forests. 

Extent of Montana forests. — Montana is now one 
of the largest of the forest growing states. So much 
of the land is given over to the National Forests 
that it is well for every citizen to know what a great 
work the Forestry Service is striving to do. In the 
western part of the State it is easier to pick out the 
lands which are not forests; looking at the other side 
of the range, the forests are the exception. The east- 



266 NATIONAL PROBLEMS IN MONTANA 

ern part of the State is one great open plain with 
few trees. A great deal of the forest land is privately 
owned and some of it belongs to the State. 

The care of the forest. — In order to have a well 
kept forest there must be a great number of men in 
the service to patrol the forest and watch for fires; 
to keep the roadways open; to survey the land and 
measure the trees large enough to have commercial 
value, and mark these for sale; to plant new trees 
and care for the young ones already planted; to 
study the kinds of timbers and determine which are 
the best for certain localities; and to find a market 
for those ready to be cut. Then, too, fences have to 
be built to keep the grazing stock from the young 
trees and trails made so that the rangers can easily 
reach any part of the forest. 

Forest fires. — We used to look upon forest fires 
as something which could not be avoided, but the 
foresters have taught us that fires in a forest may be 
controlled just as fires in town may be; but there 
must be just the same amount of fire apparatus in 
the forest that there is in the town, though it is of 
a different kind. There must be watchmen, who are 
called patrols; and telephones and roads or trails 
all through the forest. You can imagine how diffi- 
cult it would be for men to go quickly through the 
woods if there were no trails through the fallen tim- 
ber and thick underbrush. 

There are times during particularly dry seasons 
when nothing can be done to stop a fire when it is 
once started. At those times it is the business of 
the patrols to see that no fires get started. It takes 



FORESTRY 267 

a lot of vigilance, for campers in the woods are care- 
less, and sparks from engines are dangerous. 

During the summer of 1910 the most disastrous 
fires in the history of the forestry service occurred 
throughout the Northwest. The following description 
of that dreadful time is taken from the report of 
the State Forester. ''Throughout the West the winter 
snowfall and spring rains were unusually light, so 
that with the oncoming of summer the supply of 
surface moisture rapidly dried away, and an ab- 
normal and steadily increasing number of fires fol- 
lowed. Through the summer the conditions of 
drought grew worse and worse, until in parts of the 
Northwest they became the most severe within 
the period of Weather Bureau records. Steady high 
winds were combined with almost complete failure 
of the light summer precipitation, which usually mit- 
igates the severity of summer droughts in the moun- 
tains. By the middle of August the Forest Service 
was straining every resource to hold in check, with 
a force entirely inadequate to the work, the multi- 
plying fires. Out of this situation there developed a 
national disaster. From the Pacific Coast region 
eastward to central Montana the forests of the 
Northwest seemed suddenly to burst into flames. 
Fierce winds attained, in Northern Idaho and West- 
ern Montana, hurricane proportions. The scattered 
fires were driven together and lashed into fury, 
until they forced to shelter (where shelter could be 
found) the scattered bands of fire fighters. Within a 
few days' time the National Forests suffered losses 
which surpassed the total inflicted by all the fires 



268 NATIONAL PROBLEMS IN MONTANA 

of former years since- Government protection of the 
forests began." He further says that " These terrible 
fires (when over seventy-five men lost their lives) 
exerted an influence which it would be hard to over- 
estimate, for they were the means of awakening 
public sentiment and creating a realization of the 
fire danger and the possibility of keeping it down." 

A fire association. — In 1911 the State Forester 
was instrumental in starting an association to fight 
the fire hazard. This was a combination of State, 
Federal, and private interests. Together they appro- 
priated enough to put thirty-six patrolmen in the 
field. This was but a beginning as only about five 
per cent of the forests in the State was covered. 
This is good work because it is interesting the pri- 
vate holders in the principles of forestry, and it is 
hoped will lead to better legislation for our State 
Forests. 

The nursery of the Helena forest. — In the Helena 
National Forest there is, near Boulder, a nursery for 
the planting of young trees. These trees are grown 
from seed planted in beds with removable covers. 
The seed beds are kept well weeded and cultivated 
and at the end of a year the trees are most of them 
about an inch high. They are then transplanted into 
open beds. There is an apparatus for putting them 
into the transplant bed which plants a long row at 
one time. At the end of the second year the trees 
have grown another inch or two, and are ready to 
be planted in the forest. 

The Forest Supervisor is experimenting with many 
different varieties of pine and other species suitable 



FORESTRY 269 

to this climate. He has even planted some Sequoia. 
Our descendants a thousand years or more from now 
will be able to tell whether the Montana climate will 
be able to produce as large a variety as the Califor- 
nia climate has. 

Value of the forest. — We can imagine what a 
blessing the forest was to the early prospectors and 
settlers in Montana. The first need the prospectors 
had was for wood to build their sluice boxes, logs 
for their houses, and for fuel. The little furniture 
they had was made on the spot, so we are not 
surprised to learn that the first industry after mining 
was saw-milling. 

At the present time the new settlers who have 
taken up farms near the forest have a great advan- 
tage over those who live out on the open plain. The 
National Forests allow settlers to have all the wood 
that they want for their own use but if they want 
it for commercial purposes they must pay for it. 
They also can build their schoolhouses in the forest, 
and any other buildings if they comply with the 
forest regulations. Furthermore they can graze their 
stock there if they have the proper permit. Those 
who have large herds must pay for the privilege. 
The proceeds go toward the receipts of the forest. 

One-fourth of all the receipts of the forests are 
given to the State to be used for schools and the 
building of roads. This is distributed by the State 
Treasurer to the counties in proportion to the area 
of forest land in each county. One- tenth of all the 
receipts is spent for the building of roads through 
forest land. Only sixty-five per cent of the gross 



270 NATIONAL PROBLEMS IN MONTANA 

proceeds of the forest are left for the forest expenses, 
and it does not half pay them. 

Before any outside timber sales are made or any 
large grazing permits are granted, the forester must 
make sure that the local demand is satisfied first, 
not only the present demand, but what is likely 
to be needed in future years. No grazing permits 
will be granted where the forest could be injured by 
it, such as on steep hillsides where the trails of the 
stock might cause deep gullies which would even- 
tually cause the washing away of the forest covering. 

We can see that by all of these means the Gov- 
ernment is striving to make the forests useful to the 
people. 



CONCLUSION 

Montana a treasure state. — In every period of 
its history Montana has been a treasure state. To 
the Indians it was a hunter's Paradise; to the fur 
traders, a store-house of valuable furs; to the pros- 
pectors, a land with fabulous wealth of minerals; to 
the stockmen, vast fields of luxuriant grasses; to 
the lumbermen, millions of feet of valuable timber; 
and to the farmer a land of fruit and grain which 
promises to yield rich harvests as long as there are 
workers to till the soil. 

An agricultural state. — Three things have made 
it possible for Montana to develop into an agricul- 
tural state. These are irrigation, scientific farming, 
and the building of new railroads. 

The Milwaukee road. — The greatest event in 
the history of Montana since the discovery of rich 
mines was the opening up of the Judith and Mussel- 
shell Valleys by the building of the Milwaukee 
railroad. 

The Judith Basin. — The Judith Basin has for 
many years been known as the stockman's paradise. 
Of late it has been developing into the farmer's 
paradise. This has not come as a surprise to the 
Montana people. We all knew that it was only the 
distance from the railroad that was keeping this most 
fertile valley of Montana in the background. Agri- 



272 CONCLUSION 

culture and stock-raising have not been the only 
attractions of this section of the country. Mining 
too, has flourished, and from there our famous Mon- 
tana sapphires have come. 

The Musselshell Valley. — Not only the Judith 
Basin but almost the whole of the Musselshell Valley 
was changed from a vast cattle range to a country 
of farms and prosperous towns. The Milwaukee 
follows the Musselshell River from its utmost source 
to the point w^here the river turns north. The farm- 
ers in this section used to take their products — 
which were cattle and wool — to Billings, a distance 
of sixty miles. They did not object to the long 
drive for they were not worrying about the country 
not being developed. They knew as soon as the 
railroad came in that they would have to turn their 
stock ranches over to the farmers. ^Mien this time 
finally came there w^ere those who predicted that the 
country w^ould never again be as prosperous as it 
had been. 

The Milwaukee towns. — Since the Milwaukee was 
built we begin to be familiar with the names of 
Roundup, Two Dot, Musselshell, and Three Forks; 
and we hear a great deal more about Lewistown, 
Miles City, Deer Lodge, and Missoula than we did 
before. Two Dot takes its name from a man who 
had a stock farm in the early days where the town 
is now. Every one called him Two Dot Wilson, be- 
cause the brand for his cattle was two dots . . 
Roundup was the name of a stage station. It was 
a stopping place in stock-raising days for all trav- 
elers bound to or from Billings. So also was Mussel- 



CONCLUSION 273 

shell. This was the oldest town in the Valley. It 
was never a large place, but the stockmen could get 
a few supplies there without going all the way to 
Billings. Three Forks is the very oldest settlement 
in Montana. This honor has been claimed by other 
towns in Montana such as Fort Union, Fort Benton,' 
Bannack, Stevensville, but Three Forks had people 
living there as early as 1808. Manuel Lisa had 
a post at the mouth of the Big Horn a short time 
before but the Three Forks Post was the first one 
that w^as expected to be permanent. Those of us 
who have been interested in the history of Montana 
are glad to know that the old site is to be permanently 
settled at last, and that the interesting places in the 
vicinity are to have proper markings. 

The new farms. — These are some of the new 
towns, but the new farms are developing into 
towns and we hear of settlements far to the north, 
as far from the Milwaukee as those of the Mussel- 
shell used to be from Billings. The Great Northern 
is now building a branch line which will run between 
the Great Northern and the Milwaukee. There is 
plenty of room here, for the whole length of the 
Missouri Valley from the mouth of the Milk River 
to the Marias has not yet heard the toot of a whistle 
since the days of the old steamboats. 

Branch lines. — A few branch lines have been 
built which have been a help to different parts of 
the State. These are the continuation of the Bur- 
lington from Billings which connect with the Great 
Northern at Great Falls; a line up the Big Muddy 
Creek from the Great Northern near the Dakota 



274 CONCLUSION 

boundary; and a line from Lewistown to Great Falls 
which makes it possible for passengers from Lewistown 
to connect with Great Northern points. A line from 
Armistead south of Dillon into the Salmon River 
country in Idaho now saves the long stage ride and 
heavy teaming that used to be necessary. 

The railroads a bureau of publicity. — The rail- 
roads have done more than build new lines. As 
we have shown in the chapter on dry farming, they 
have contributed toward the maintaining of Agri- 
cultural Experiment Stations and they have exten- 
sively advertised the country by leaflets and books. 
They also have been running homeseekers' excursions 
from the Eastern States for several years. In this 
publicity campaign the Great Northern leads. Be- 
cause of his great interest in the State, James J. 
Hill's name is famous all over the United States. 
He has been a friend to conservation. 

Scientific farming. — The railroads were necessary 
for the development of these valleys, but the scien- 
tific farming had made farming possible on the high- 
est benches; land which before was valuable only as 
pasture land — no matter how close the railroad 
might run — now is yielding grain and vegetables, 
and even fruit. 



TITLES FOR COMPOSITION AND ORIGINAL 
RESEARCH 

1. Kamas Prairie, the meeting place of Indians and fur traders. 

2. Stories of the old trappers. 

3. Yankee Jim, the trapper and guide. 

4. Angus McDonald and his son Duncan. 

5. What Audubon 'svTote about Fort Union and the people living there. 

6. Ignace Saxi, an Iroquois among the Flatheads. 

7. Indian remains in the Bitter Root Valley. 

8. The first location of St. Ignatius Mission. 

9. Major Alexander Culbertson and his family. 

10. Journeys of Manuel Lisa to Montana, taken from the journals of early 

explorers. 

11. The Chouteau family, the St. Louis fur traders. 

12. Gen. William H. Ashley and his fur-trading enterprises. 

13. The Green River rendezvous. 

14. Life of Kenneth McKenzie. 

15. Hudson Bay Company trappers in Montana. 

16. Stories of Indian chiefs of different tribes, giving consecutive lists as 

far as possible. 

17. Boats used by the Indians. 

18. What the buffalo meant to the Indians. 

19. What difference did the acquisition of guns and horses make in the life 

of the Indians? 

20. Of what material did the Montana Indians make their arrowheads and 

where and how was it obtained.^ 

21. Legends, tales, and folk-lore of Montana tribes. 

22. Methods of transportation by land and water of Indians, fur traders, 

and explorers. 

23. Freighting before the railroad was built, including description of wagons, 

animals used, and roads. 

24. Have any prehistoric remains been found in Montana.^ 

25. The passes over the mountains. 

26. A trip up the Missouri on a steamboat. 

27. The Bozeman Road. 



276 COMPOSITION AND ORIGINAL RESEARCH 

28. Up the Missouri River from Fort Union to Great Falls by motor boat, 

noting the spots mentioned in the journals of the early travelers. 

29. Roads and trails: The Bozeman Trail, the Mullan Road, Bridger Trail, 

Fiske Route, Corinne Wagon Road. 

30. Father DeSmet's route in going to Fort Colville from the Bitter 

Root. 

31. The council of 1855, \\dth the events and conditions leading up to it, as 

described in the life of Governor I. I. Stevens. 

32. The story of the old mining camp of Pioneer. 

33. Cantonment Stevens, the purpose for which it was built, its site and 

present remains. 

34. History of mining in Montana. 

35. Who built the first quartz mills and for what mines. ^ 

36. How the earliest settlers communicated with each other and ^^ith *'the 

folks at home." 

37. The establishment of counties. 

38. Earliest ranching experiences. 

39. The V. F. horse ranch. 

40. Stories of the old cattle ranches: The Bow Gun, the "OX," the ranch 

on Bitter Creek, the ranch on Powder River. To whom did they 
belong and when were their most prosperous times .^ 

41. The old sheep ranches. 

42. Judith Basin: its treasures and treasurers. 

43. Lieutenant Bradley and the historical work he did for Montana. 

44. A military history of Montana from 1855 to date. 

45. Everyday life of the soldiers and their families at Fort Ellis and other 

early Montana forts. 

46. History of the discovery and development of the Anaconda Mine. 

47. History of the country opened up by the Milwaukee Railroad. 

48. The two capitals of Montana. 

49. The three constitutional conventions. 

50. Amendments to the state constitution. 

51. History of the codes of Montana law. 

52. Our governors : interesting bits about them and their administrations. 

53. History of political parties in Montana. 

54. Historical geography of Montana. 

55. Montana's part in national history. 

56. Montana's soldiers in the War of 1898. 

57. Local history. What are the important events of your country.^ 

58. The Montana Historical Society. 

59. Proposed railroads. How will they affect the state.^* 

60. What is the work of the forest nurseries.^ 



COMPOSITION AND ORIGINAL RESEARCH 277 

61. Discovery and appreciation of the wonders of the Glacier National 

Park. 

62. A description of each irrigation project, giving the sources, reservoirs, 

canals, dams, and land irrigated; when started, the cost, and when 
completed. 

63. Origin of some of the Montana names: Big Dry, Red Lodge, Cadotte's 

Pass, Bear Tooth Mountain, Bear Paw Mountains, Bitter Root, Two 
Dot, Silver Bow, Deer Lodge, Anaconda, Beaverhead, Chouteau, 
Dawson, Musselshell, Roundup, Ravalli, Rosebud, Big Horn, Sweet 
Grass, Yellowstone, Cut Bank, Pompey's Pillar, Two Medicine Lake, 
Little Belt, Big Hole, Tongue River, Plent;>^vood, Lo-Lo, Missoula. 



QUESTIONS ON "THE STORY OF MONTANA" 

Part I 

EARLY EXPLORERS 

1. Who was the American statesman who saw the possibiUties of the 

western comitry? 

2. What were the early explorers searching for? 

3. WTiat Indians guided Lewis and Clark over the mountains? 

4. WTiat nationality made the best fur traders? 

5. What Indian Village was an important center for the explorers and fur 

traders? 

6. Where was the Verendrye Plate found? 

7. To what countries did Montana belong before the Louisiana Purchase? 

8. When did Montana become United States territory? 

9. How long did it take Lewis and Clark to make their trip to the Pacific? 

10. What was the name of the Indian interpreter of the Lewis and Clark 

expedition? 

11. 'WTiy did the wife of this interpreter become an important historical 

character? 

12. At what point did Lewds and Clark cross the Bitter Root Mountains? 

13. Why did Le^^4s and Clark pass through the Bitter Root Valley instead 

of going do^^^l the Salmon River? 

14. WTiat Indians guided the Lewis and Clark expedition through the 

mountains? 

15. What was the object of Manuel Lisa's trip to the upper Missouri? 

16. Who was the first white man to visit the Yellowstone National Park? 

17. \Miat influence did the War of 1812 have upon Montana history? 

18. WTiat sort of canoes did the Verendryes use? 

19. What sort of canoes were used by the Upper Missouri fur traders? 

20. WTiat was a periogue? A bull-boat? 

21. How^ were the keel-boats transported up the river? 

22. Wliat was the name given to the French boatmen? 

23. Wliat tribe of Indians did Lew^s encounter on his voyage down the river? 

24. WTiere was the home of the Flatheads? 



280 QUESTIONS 

25. WTiat Indians lived east of the Rockies and north and west of the 

Missouri? 

26. 'What Indians, whose home was in the Snake River country, were often 

at the Three Forks of the Missouri? 

27. What Indians lived in the Big Horn Valley? 

28. Where did Lewis and Clark have their first view of the Rockies? 

29. W-liat did the finding of the eagle's nest prove to Lewis and Clark? 

30. Who w^ere the Three Forks of the Missouri named for? 
3L WTiat game was most dreaded by the Indians? 

32. \A^t animak were the most useful to the Indians? 

33. \Miat animals furnished the choicest skins? 

3L At what point on the Missouri was the first trading post built? 

35. Why are not the Verendryes' journals useful to historians? 

36. Name two present-day historians who have made the sources of 

exploring history accessible to the general public. 



Part II 
INDIANS 

1. What Indians (according to our records) were the first to occupy the 

Missouri River Valley? 

2. Of what were the lodges made before the fur traders brought cloth to 

the Indians? 

3. How- did the Montana Indians acquire horses? 

4. Which Montana Indians were the first to have guns? 

5. Why were the Flatheads and Blackfeet such bitter enemies? 

6. WTiat tribe of Blackfeet were continually at war wdth the Crows? 

7. ^\Tiat dreaded tribe from the east of the Missouri hunted in the 

Yellowstone Valley? 

8. A\Tiy did all the Montana Indians go to hunt in the Yellowstone? 

9. WTiat tribe of Indians made Sacajawea a captive? 

10. What did Lewds and Clark call the Flatheads? 

11. What commodity could the Assiniboines offer to induce the fur traders 

to build a post as far up the river as Fort Union? 

12. WTiich of all the tribes were considered the best robe-makers? 

13. What was the Indian name for the Crows? 

14. The skins of what animals were obtained at Fort Benton? 

15. Of w^hat tribe was Arapooash the chief? 



QUESTIONS 281 

16. What terrible catastrophe greatly diminished the number of Montana 

Indians? 

17. Why did not the St. Louis fur traders establish a post among the 

Flatheads.^ 

18. TMien was the Laramie Council held, and where .^ 

19. ^Mio was the first governor of Montana while it was still a part of 

Washington.^ 

20. \Miere was the council of 1855 held.^ 

21. ^Miat improvement in conditions was brought about by this council.^ 

22. Aside from his missionary work for the Indians, what valuable work 

did Father DeSmet give to Montana.^ 



Part III 
FUR TRADE 

1. In what way are the Chouteau family of St. Louis connected 'VN'ith 

Montana history.^ 

2. ^Mio was the first fur trader to come into Montana.^ 

3. What phase of the fur trade most interested General Ashley.^ 

4. Vsliy should John Jacob Astor's name be mentioned in Montana 

histor}'.^ 

5. What was the first fur company to operate in Montana.^ 

6. What posts were established at the mouth of the Big Horn and at the 

Three Forks of the Missouri.^ 

7. TMiere did the Rocky Mountain Fur Company operate.^ 

8. In the employ of what company did Kenneth McKenzie come to 

Montana.^ 

9. WTiat was the first post of the American Fur Company in Montana.^ 

10. AATiat post was built in the Piegan country.^ 

11. TMiat connection did Alexander Culbertson have with the American 

Fur Company.^ 

12. Who had charge of Fort L'nion in its last days.^ 

13. \Miat was the name of the first fort at Fort Benton.^ 

14. TMien was the name of the post at Fort Benton finally changed to Fort 

Benton.^ 

15. Name four posts on the Yellowstone. 

16. How did the Rocky Mountain Fur Company transport their goods to 

the Green River Countrv.^ 



282 QUESTIONS 

17. What were the four kinds of boats used by the fur traders before the use 

of the steamboat? 

18. When did the first steamboat go to Fort Union .'^ 

19. Who took the first steamboat to Fort Benton.^ 

20. WTio was the most noted trapper of Montana.^ 

21. Who was a famous guide for overland travelers to California and the 

Oregon coimtry.^ 

22. \ATiich of the large fur companies operated on the Upper Columbia 

River.^ 

23. Why do you suppose Thompson Falls was so named .^ 

24. What was the principal post on the upper Columbia.^ 

25. Who was Angus MacDonald.^ 

26. What can you tell of his son Duncan.^ 

27. W^hat transaction between the United States and the Hudson Bay 

Company in 1872 was an important one for Montana.^ 

28. Who has ^^Titten the most important and comprehensive work on the 

fur trade of the Missouri River? 



Part IV 
VISITORS TO THE POSTS 

1. Why did Prince Maximilian make St. Louis his outfitting post when 

going up the Missouri? 

2. In what boat did Maximilian go up to Fort Union? 

3. How did he go from Fort Union to Fort McKenzie? 

4. How did he make the return trip? 

5. \Miy was Maximilian's visit cut short? 

6. How far up the river did Catlin go? 

7. What fur trader made the visits of Maximilian and Audubon a pleasure? 

8. "\ATiat part of Montana did Audubon visit? 

9. WTio was the first missionary to the Montana Indians? 

10. What is a Pembina Cart? 

11. \Miere did Governor Stevens and his survejTng party make their head- 

quarters while in Montana? 

12. AATiere did Governor Stevens take formal possession as Governor of 

Washington? 

13. Did Governor Stevens make any other visits^ to Montana? 

14. What Montana man possesses a copy of Maximilian's original journal? 

15. \Miat does Chittenden say of Maximilian's journal? 



QUESTIONS 283 

16. 'SATiat great criticism is there of Catlin's work? 

17. How do Father DeSmet's journals differ from those of Maximilian 

and Audubon.^ 

18. What Government Report describes the work of the railroad surveying 

parties of 1S5S-IS55? 

19. ^Yho has compiled a life of I. I. Stevens.^ 

20. Where is the best account of the Council of 1855 to be found.^ 



Part V 
MISSIONARIES 

1. \Miat Indians told the Flatheads about the missionaries? 

2. How many delegates were sent to St. Louis for missionaries? 

3. WTiat adventures befell the first delegation? 

4. A\Tio was Ignace Saxi? 

5. \Mio was the first Black Robe to come? 

6. Did he stay in Montana? 

7. How many times did Father DeSmet come to Montana? 

8. ^Miere was the first service held in Montana? 

9. \Miere was the first mission established in Montana? 

10. What wonderful secret did the early missionaries learn when they came 

to live w^th the Indians? 

11. \Mio is the priest best remembered in the Bitter Root Valley? 

12. ^Aliy was St. Mary's Mission closed? 

13. WTiat was done w^th the buildings? 

14. What became of the permanent mission west of the mountains? 

15. What missionary ministered to the Blackfeet? 

16. ^Mien was missionary work begun ^^ith the Crows? 



Part VI 
THE FIRST SETTLERS 

1. In what year was gold discovered in California? 

2. What route did the California gold seekers take in order to reach the 

Eldorado? 

3. WTiat did the Indians call the Great Salt Lake Trail? 

4. WTio was the first knoTvii prospector in Montana? 



284 QUESTIONS 

5. Who was the half-breed who found gold in Gold Creek? 
t). What two brothers were the first settlers to publish the discovery of 
gold in Montana? 

7. In what valley was the first settlement made? 

8. When was gold discovered in Bannack? 

9. When was gold discovered in Alder Gulch? 

10. Name the six men w^ho discovered gold in Alder Gulch. 

11. Which of the six was the first to make the discovery? 

12. How did Alder Gulch compare with other placer creeks in richness and 

extent? 

13. What was the settlement at Alder Gulch named? 

14. How did the earliest settlers come to Montana? 

15. What year did steamboats first reach Fort Benton? 

16. What Indians made the river trip dangerous? 

17. What currency w^as used by the early settlers? 

18. What peril came to the settlers in the summer of 1863? 

19. Why were the settlers afraid to prosecute the road agents? 

20. Were the road agents as bad in Bannack as in Virginia? 

21. Before the territorial laws were enforced what was the method used to 

keep law-breakers in check? 

22. Who was elected sheriff to fill the place of Crawford? 

23. Through what secret society were the Vigilantes able to organize? 

24. Who was the leader of the road agents? 

25. What eventually happened to the road agents? 

26. How long were the people terrorized by the road agents? 

27. How long did it take the Vigilantes to bring the road agents to justice? 

28. What were the questions of the day which interested the settlers after 

the suppression of the road agents? 

29. When was Montana made a territory? 

30. Where was the first territorial capital? 

31. Who named Montana? 

32. Who was the first governor of the territory? 

33. Who appointed the territorial officers? 

34. What w^as done at the first legislative assembly? 

35. WTien was the Historical Society incorporated? 

36. What were the first counties? 

37. What town was built at Last Chance Gulch? 

38. When was gold discovered at Last Chance? 

39. How did Confederate Gulch compare in richness and extent with Alder 

Gulch? 

40. What town grew up on Silver Bow Creek? 

41. Who found the first placers on Silver Bow Creek? 



QUESTIONS 285 

42. In what part of Butte were the first cabins built? 

43. ^Mien were Montana's richest placers worked out.^ 

44. \Mio T\Tote the first book published in Montana? 

45. Who vn-ote the best and fullest account of the work done by the 

Vigilantes? 

46. ^^Tiat book did Granville Stuart \^Tite? 

47. ^"Nliat was the first newspaper published and where? 



P-IRT VII 
THE SOLDIERS IN MONTANA 

1. \Miat mihtary expedition went up to the Upper Missouri Country in 

1824? 

2. \Miat was the purpose of this expedition? 

3. Vslio were the men at the head of this expedition? 

4. What was the result of this expedition? 

5. ^Miat was done in 1853 to make the West better kno^^Tl to eastern 

people? 

6. How many surveys were made in finding the route to the Pacific? 

7. AMiich survey was that of the forty-seventh parallel? 

8. ^Mio had charge of the sur^^ey of the forty-seventh parallel? 

9. AMio was the first governor of Washington Territory? 

10. ^ATiat part of Montana was then in Washington TeTTitory? 

11. ^"Miat could the fur traders tell the surveyors about the best places to 

cross the mountains in winter? 

12. ^Miere were winter quarters established? 

13. WTiat did the Flatheads know about the winter crossing of the 

mountains? 

14. \Miat road did Captain James L. Fisk's expedition build? 

15. TNTiat part of Montana was explored by Captain Raynolds? 

16. Xame two stage stations on the Mullan Road. 

1 7 . ^Mia t rivers did the Bozeman Road cross ? 

18. WTiat Indian country was crossed by the Bozeman Road? 

19. TSTiat tribes objected to the whites using the Bozeman Road? 

20. At which fort was Lieutenant Bradley stationed when he ^^Tote his 

manuscripts on Montana history? 

21. TMiere were Fort Shaw and Fort Logan? 

22. ^Miat four posts were built in 1876 and 1878? 

23. When was Fort Missoula built? 



286 QUESTIONS 

24. Was Fort Buford in Montana? 

25. Was Fort Benton a military post? 

26. With what tribes were the two great Indian battles of Montana fought? 

27. Were the Sioux Montana Indians? 

28. What fa,mous mining country belonged originally to the Sioux? 

29. Why were the troops pursuing the Sioux? 

30. What three generals were engaged in the troubles with the Sioux? 

31. Who was Custer's general? 

32. What office did Custer hold? 

33. How many companies were under Custer? 

34. How many Indians did the soldiers think were in the village? 

35. How many were there in reality? 

36. How many of Custer's companies were with him during his last stand? 

37. What became of the Indians? 

38. Where is the Custer battle-field? 

39. Who was the great Sioux chief? 

40. Was he a brave warrior? 

41. Where is the Cheyenne Reservation? 

42. To what state did the Nez Perces belong? 

43. Did all the Nez Perces go on the war-path? 

44. What were the names of the Nez Perces chiefs who were in the Battle of 

the Big Hole? 

45. 'Where did these Indians want to go? 

46. Who was the general who had charge of the Montana soldiers in the 

Battle of the Big Hole? 

47. What captain and lieutenant were killed in the battle? 

48. Did the Indians escape to Canada? , 

49. What happened at the Bear Paw Mountains? 

50. To whom did Chief Joseph surrender? 

51. Where can you find a reliable account of all military expeditions? 

52. In Avhat reports w^ould you look for a description of the railroad surveys? 

53. Where can you find an account of the building of the Mullan Road? 
*54. Where can you find the facts regarding the building of the early military 

posts? 

55, What two soldiers' wives have WTitten descriptions of Western army 

life? 

56. What soldier was interested in early Montana history? 



QUESTIONS 287 

Part VIII 
DEVELOPMENT OF THE STATE 

1. Name the five placer mining towTis. 

2. Name the fom* stage station towTis. 

3. When was the first gold-bearing quartz discovered? WTiere? 

4. ^^llat iovra became a lively silver camp? 

5. AMiich towTi was the best gold camp? 

6. 'SMien did Butte become a copper camp? 

7. WTiat two men brought the quartz mines of Butte to the notice of the 

treasure seekers? 

8. WTio was the first persistent miner on Anaconda Hill, and what was 

his mine? 

9. AMien was Anaconda Mine first developed? 

10. WTio of the early settlers were the first to explore the Yellowstone 

National Park? 

11. WTien did the Washburn party do their exploring? 

12. W^ho were the first five governors of Montana? 

13. ^Mio named Montana? 

14. Wliat was the first railroad in Montana? 

15. WTiat lands in Montana were granted the Northern Pacific in compen- 

sation for building their road? 

16. WTiere was the golden spike driven which commemorated the com- 

pletion of the Northern Pacific? 

17. What ended the navigation of the Missouri in Montana? 

18. Wliat to^Ti was created and what toA^Ti revived by the building of the 

Great Northern? 

19. WTiich road is *'Jmi Hill's Road"? 

20. Name five agricultural valleys of the early mining days. 

21. WTiat kind of stock was first raised in Montana? 

22. WTiat caused the settlers to think of the Yellowstone Valley as a good 

cattle country? 

23. WTiat important lesson did the cattle men learn in the winter of 1886? 

24. Who had the first sheep in Montana? 

25. How does Montana rank as a wool and sheep producing state? 

26. WTien was the territorial capital changed to Helena? 

27. WTiy did not Philipsburg remain an important mining to"\.\Ti? 

28. WTiich of the Montana towns is now noted for its gold mines? 

29. WTio were the last five governors of the territorial days? 



288 QUESTIONS 

30. When was the constitution of Montana made? 

31. How long after this did Montana become a state? 

32. On what day was issued the proclamation recognizing Montana as one 

of the states? 

33. Name the governors since Montana became a state. 



Part IX 
TRANSFORMATION OF THE INDIANS 

1. Wiat great service did Governor Stevens perform for the white men and 

the Indians? 

2. In what book will you find an account of W. T. Hamilton's part in the 

council of I860 at Fort Benton? 

3. Why did the Flatheads refuse to leave the Bitter Root Valley? 

4. How was J. M. Bozeman killed? 

5. What Indians were on the Blackfoot Reservation? 

6. Where were the Gros Ventres of the Prairie and the Assiniboines? 

7. What Shoshone chiefs were well-knoA\Ti characters around Virginia 

City? 

8. Who were the father and grandfather of Chariot? 

9. What chief was a friend of Chariot's grandfather? 

10. To what tribe did Little Dog belong? 

11. What office did Francis E. Leupp hold? 

12. \Miat was his ambition for the Indians? 

13. W'hat book has Mr. Leupp written about his plans for the Indians? 

14. WTiat is meant by the Burke Amendment to the Dawes Act? 

15. What Indians can vote? 

16. What is meant by an allotment? 

17. Was any land left for settlers after the Indian allotments were made? 

18. WTiat good condition followed the inauguration of the Crows' Annual 

Wild West Show? 

Faut X 
NATIONAL PROBLEMS 

1. \Miat three national problems interested the people of Montana? 

2. When was irrigation first thought of? 

3. ^\h.sit engineer of the War Department wrote a report showing how the 

government could handle the irrigation problem? 



QUESTIONS 289 

4. What was the name of this report? 

5. Who was the man who started the work of the United States Geological 

Survey? 

6. Under which department of the government is the United States 

Geological Survey carried on? 

7. WTiat was the first work of this survey? 

8. What middle western newspaper assisted in the movement for national 

irrigation? 

9. ^Miat organization was William E. Smythe instrumental in forming? 

10. What was the name of the government report written by Major H. M. 

Chittenden? 

11. From what state was the Xewlands Bill in Congress introduced? 

12. AMiat was the general plan of the Newlands Bill? 

13. What is the Reclamation Fund? 

14. Who really eventually pays for the irrigation of the land? 

15. What part does the government play in it? 

16. How much land can any one pay water right for? 

17. How did the arrangement affect the large land holders? 

18. What is the Reclamation Service? 

19. Who was the first head of the Reclamation Service? 

20. ^Mlat is the largest irrigation project in Montana? 

21. Name six other projects. 

22. What lakes are near the headwaters of the Milk River? 

23. Of what Canadian river are these lakes the headwaters? 

24. Of what river is Milk River a branch? 

25. Is its whole course in Montana? 

26. What waters are saved by building a reservoir at the lower St. Mary 

Lake? 

27. The waters of what streams have been diverted into these lakes? 

28. Are the Canadian lands along the St. Mary River robbed by the building 

of this reservoir? 

29. Are the Canadian lands along the Milk River helped any by the building 

of this reservoir? 

30. What agreement did Canada make with us about the right to this water? 

31. What could we have done with the waters of the St. Mary Lakes if they 

had refused to come to this agreement? 

32. "\Miat would then have become of the St. Mary River? 

33. How is the water diverted from the St. Mary Lakes into the Milk River? 

34. WTiat is the work done on the Milk River Project after the river comes 

into Montana from Canada? 

35. Why is the Sun River Project a difficult one? 

36. WTiat is the work of the Huntley and Lower Yellowstone Projects? 



290 QUESTIONS 

37. What is dry farming? 

38. To what institution should you write for a full description of the dry 

farming system as it is best practised in Montana.^ 

39. How many acres in Montana can never be irrigated.^ 

40. Why is it impossible to irrigate these lands.'' 

41. Who was the Nebraska man who invented the implements for dry 

farming.^ 

42. Did he discover the dry-land system? 

43. When is the greatest rainfall in Montana? 

44. Why are these months the best times for rain for the farmer? 

45. Why then should Montana be called an arid state or rather what con- 

dition of the atmosphere counteracts the good rainfall? 

46. What is the principle of dry farming? 

47. What is Campbell's method? 

48. When did the Montana Experiment Station first begin to dry farm? 

49. What two railroads have helped them financially? 

50. What is the work of the demonstration farms? 

51. Were the men at the Experiment Station the first to try dry farming in 

Montana? 

52. Do the dry-land farmers of the present day fully understand the system? 

53. What in reality are the forest reserves? 

54. In what way are the irrigation projects dependent upon the forests? 

55. How can good forestry in Montana affect Nebraska and the Dakotas? 
5Q. Who was the first man, and from what state, to realize that it was 

important for the people of the United States to care for their forests? 

57. When was Arbor Day first thought of? 

58. What effect has Arbor Day had upon Nebraska? 

59. What was the Timber Culture Act? 

60. What is the difference betw^een a forest reserve and a national forest? 

61. How were the forestry laws improved by the law of 1897? 

62. WTiich is the most thickly w^ooded, the eastern or western parts of 

Montana? 

63. What is the work of the men in the forest service? 

64. How can forest fires be prevented? 

65. In what year were forest fires most destructive? 

66. What good grew out of these terrible fires? 

67. How can the forestry association help Montana? 

68. AMiat work do forest nurseries do? 

69. How may settlers use the forests? 

70. How are the receipts of the national forests used? 

71. Do the forests pay for themselves? 

72. Who are the first to profit from the forests? 



QUESTIONS 291 



CONCLUSION 

1. \Miy has Montana been named the Treasure State? 

2. \Miat three things have made it possible for Montana to develop into 

an agricultural state? 

3. What rich valley was opened up by the building of the Milwaukee Road?. 

4. How did the Milwaukee Road change the Mussleshell Valley? 
o. Name the important towns along the Milwaukee. 

6. Tell of the new branch railroads lately built in Montana. 

7. In what way have the railroads helped Montana besides the building 

of the roads? 

8. \Miat finally has been the greatest factor in the agricultural development 

of Montana? 



PRONOUNCING GLOSSARY 



Absaraka ab-sa'-ra-ka 

Beau IIarn(>is. . bo-Ar-nwa' 
Beaux Hommes . boz-om' 

Benetsce bc-nct'-sc 

ChantitT shan-tye' 

Charboncau .... .shar'-l)()n-o 

Chariot shar'-hnv 

Chippcways. . . .chip'-pc-ways 

Chouteau sliow'-tow 

Coues cows 

De Smet de-smet' 

Droillard drcw'-yar 

Ft. do la Ricne. .fort de la Rain 

Ft. Kcogh fort Kee'-o 

Gervais zhcr-va' 

Gros Ventres. . .gro-von'-tr 

Hallochs har-loch-chs 

Helena hel'-en-a 

Iroquois ir'-o-kwoi 

Kalispells ka-lis-pells' 

Kootenais koo'-te-nay 

Lapwai lap'-weye (or lapwi) 

Laramie la'-ra-mee 

Lisa lee'-sa 

Malad ma-lahd' 



Marias mar-eye'-as (ma- 

rias) 

MeagluT niah'-her 

Michelle me-shell' 

Minnetarees . . . min-ne-ta'-rees 

Ncz Perces (sing.) ne-pur-ce' 

(plu.) ne-pur'-ce 
Pend d' Oreilles.pond-o-ray' 

Periogues pi-rog' 

Piegans pee'-gans 

Pierre pee-air' 

Prudhoninie, pru-doni', 

Gabriel ga'-bri-el 

Rendezvous . . . .rawn'-da-vu 

Sacajawea sa-ka-ja-wee'-a 

St. Regis Borgia st. ree-jis bor'-gi-a 

Saleesh sa'-leesh 

Saskatchewan . . sas-catch'-e-wan 
Saxi, Ignace. . . .sacks'-eye, een'-yas 

Shoshones sho-sho'-nees (sing.) 

sho-sho'-ne 

Sioux. . .• plu. and sing, sue 

Stomus ss-t-o'mus 

Teton tee'-tawTi 

Verendrye ver-en-der-ee' 

Voyageurs vwa- va-zhur 



INDEX 



Absaraka, 22, 48, 172, 177, 194 
Agricultural College Experiment 

Station, 258, 261 
Alder Gulch, 129-30, loO, 151 
Alexander, 58, 233, 240 
Alice Mine, 204 

Allison, William, 153, 200, 201 
American Fur Company, 28, 63, 65, 

68, 70, 71, 72-80, 83, 101, 117, 132 
"American Fur Trade of the Far 

West"; by Chittenden, 88, 89, 90 
Anaconda, 214 
Anaconda Hill, 153, 224-5 
Anaconda Mine, 198, 204, 224 
Antelopes, 27 
Arapooash, 50-1 
Arbor Day, The first, 264 
Armistead, 274 

Ashley, Gov. J. M., 147, 207-8 
Ashley, Gen. Wm. H., 64, 68-70, 83, 

158-9 
Assiniboine Indians, 21, 41, 46, 47, 

48, 51, 54, 56, 59, 68, 72, 75, 76, 

81, 93, 237, 246 
Astor, John Jacob, 64-5, 71, 74 
Atkinson, Gen., 69, 157-9 
Audubon, John J., 94-6, 101, 102 

Baker, Major Eugene M., 174, 

175-6, 238 
Bannack, 128-31, 135, 143, 144, 147, 

149, 197, 199, 238 
Bannack Indians, 22, 237 
Battle of the Bear Paw Mountains, 

191-2 



Battle of the Big Hole, 174, 176, 

189-90, 195 
Battle of the Clearwater (Idaho), 187 
Battle of the Little Big Horn, 176, 

180-4 
Bear Paw Mountains, 175, 191 
Bears, 15, 26 
Beaver, 28, 46, 48, 80 
Beaver Country, 48, 53 
Beaverhead County, 148 
Beaverhead River and Valley, 110, 

125, 126, 127, 128 
Beet Sugar Factory, 257 
Benetsee (Frangois Finlay), 123, 126 
Benton, Thomas II., 74, 79 
Big Blackfoot River, 167 
Big Hole River and Valley, 11, 127, 

188, 213, 218 
Big Horn County, 148 
Big Horn Mountains, 22, 54, 168 
Big Horn River and Valley, 13, 22, 

28, 39, 48, 67, 73, 79, 129, 168, 

172, 177 
Big Muddy Creek, 273 
Big Rosebud River, 168 
Big Timber, 223 
Billings, 223, 236, 257, 272, 273 
Billings, Frederick, 210 
Bitter Root Valley, 11, 20, 22, 37, 

44, 45, 97, 98, 105, 110, 112, 113, 

144, 145, 161, 162, 187, 188, 190, 

214, 216, 233 
Black Robes (see Missionaries) 
Blackfeet, Missionaries to, 97, 117, 

118 



INDEX 



Blackfeet Indians, 20, 21, 25, 29, 37, 
38, 41, 43, 44, 45, 48, 49, 50, 51, 
52, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 67, 72, 73, 
76, 77, 78, 79, 97, 114, 115, 117, 
118, 159, 161, 175, 176, 237, 238, 
239, 240-1, 246 

Blackfoot Country, 48, 97, 117, 118, 
229 

Blackfoot Pass, 11, 168, 169 

Blackfoot Post, 48-52 

Blackfoot Project, 254, 257 

Blackfoot Reservation, 237 

Blood Indians, 21, 237 

Boats, Early, 14-8 

Bonner, 167 

Bonneville, Capt, 64, 70, 88 

Bozeman, 101, 172, 174, 197, 205, 223 

Bozeman, J. M., 172, 234-5 

Bozeman Pass, 11 

Bozeman Road, 172, 173, 177, 234-5 

Brackett, Lt CoL, Albert G., 174 

Bradbury, 32, 33 

Bradley, Lt, 174, 189-90, 194 

Breckinridge, Henry M., 32, 33 

Bridger, James, 69, 70, 71, 83, 84, 
167, 170, 171 

Bridger's Peak, 84 

Buffaloes, 16, 25, 28, 35, 37, 39, 42 
125, 188, 218 

Bull-boats, 16, 67 

Burke Amendment to the Dawes 
Act, 245 

Burlington Railroad, 184, 273 

Butte, 152-4, 197, 198, 200-4, 214, 
224-5 

Cadotte's Pass, 98, 123 
Camp Baker, 174 
Campbell, H. W., 258 
Canada, Treaties with, 84-5, 256 
Canadian Fur Trade, 12, 47, 48, 65, 
67, 71, 73, 74, 85, 86, 87, 157 



Canoes, 10, 14, 15, 21 
Cantonment Jordon, 165 
Cantonment Stevens, 98, 161 
Cantonment Wright, 167 
Carpenter, Gov. B. Piatt, 226 
Carrington, Col. H. B., 173, 194 
Carrington, Mrs. H. B., 194 
Catlin, George, 94, 101 
Cattle, 218-21, 271, 272 
Charboneau, 9, 10 
Chariot, 233-4, 239. Also cut page 

104 
Cheyennes, 172, 173, 174, 177, 186, 

194, 234, 237 
Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul 

Railroad (see Milwaukee) 
Chinook, 255, 256 
Chippeways, 72 
Chittenden, Hiram M., 13, 17, 32, 33, 

48, 60, 70, 75, 83, 88, 89, 90, 101, 

252 
Chouteau, 118 
Chouteau County, 148, 255 
Chouteau Family of St. Louis, 28, 

61-3, 64, 65, 66, 71, 74, 75, 76, 

81, 89, 92, 95 
Clagett, William H., 207 
Clark, Malcolm, 175, 176 
Clark, W. A., 203, 204 
Clark, William, 8, 11, 12, 15, 20, 

21, 106 
Clark's Fork of the Columbia, 85, 

163, 166 
Clark's Fork of the Yellowstone, 168, 

191 
Clearwater, Battle of the (in Idaho), 

187 
Colter, John, 12, 13 
Columbia River, 11, 30, 43, 65, 85, 

111, 113, 170, 172, 210, 214 
Columbia River Indians, 240 
Confederate Gulch, 151, 152, 197 



INDEX 



295 



Congress, 8, 129, 147, 157, 159, 160, 

165, 167, 208, 210, 226, 242, 244, 

251, 253 
Conservation, 228, 260 
Constitutional Convention, 226, 227 
Contributions to Historical Society 

of Montana, 5, 194, 195, 206 
Copper Mines, 198, 204 
Corinne (Utah), 124, 133 
Coues, Dr. Elliott, 88, 90 
Councils with the Indians, 53-60, 

99, 100, 102, 124, 157, 158, 159, 

164 
County boundaries established, 148 
Cow Creek, 23 
Crazy Horse, 179 
Crees, 59, 72 
Cr9ok, Gen. 179 
Crosby, Gov. J. Schuyler, 226 
Crow Country, 22, 29, 47, 110, 111, 

129, 172 
Crow Indians, 22, 29, 38, 39, 47, 48, 

49, 50, 51, 52, 54, 59, 73, 79, 80, 

158, 172, 176, 177, 186, 234, 237, 

246, 247 
Crow Missionaries, 118 
Culbertson, Major Alexander, 50, 

52, 75, 77, 78, 79, 80, 86, 96, 122 
Custer, Brev. Major Gen. George A., 

179-184 
Custer, Mrs. George A., 194 
Custer, Capt. Tom, 182 
Custer County, 148, 167 
Custer Massacre, 178, 180-4, 194 

Dakota Indians, 176-85 

Dakotah Lode, 197 

Dakotas, The, 4, 47, 175, 185, 186, 

263, 273 
Daly, Marcus, 203, 204 
Dams, Diversion and Storage, 256 
Dawes Act, 245 



Dawson, Andrew, 79 

Dawson County, 79, 148 

Dearborn River, 11 

Deer Lodge, 144, 172, 197, 201, 238, 

272 
Deer Lodge County, 148, 201 
Deer Lodge River and Valley, 110, ^ 

126, 127, 128, 214 
Demonstration Farms, 262 
De Smet, Father, 53, 54, 60, 96, 97, 

102, 109-112, 114, 119, 121, 240 
Dexter Mill (Butte), 202 
Diamond City, 174, 197 
Dillon, 125, 274 
Dimsdale, Thomas J., 155 
Dodson Diversion Dam, 256 
Drum Lummon Mine, 200 
Drummond, 126 
Dry-farming, 250, 257-62 
Dye, Eva Emery, 31 

Eaton, A. K., 199 

Edgar, Henry, 129 

Edgerton, Gov. Sidney, 140, 147, 207, 

229 
Edgerton County, 148 
Enablmg Act, 227 

Executive Officers, First, 146, 147 
Experiment Station of the Montana 

Agricultural CoUege, 258, 261-2 

Fairweather, Bill, 129 
Farlin, William L., 153, 200, 201, 202 
Farmers, Indian, 246-8 
Farming, Scientific, 257, 274 
Farms, Early, 212, 213 v 

Ferris, W. A., 89 

Finlay, Frangois (Benetsee), 123, 126 
Fire Hole River, 206 
Fisk, Capt. James L., 171 
Flathead Couriers for Missionaries, 
105-9 



296 



INDEX 



Flathead House, 85, 86 

Flathead Indians, 20, 22, 35, 37, 43, 
44, 45, 48, 53, 5(5, 59, 60, 85, 86, 
87, 95, 96, 103-17, 161, 162, 186, 
190, 214, 231-4, 237, 239-40 

Flathead Lake, 85, 86, 239 

Flathead Missions, 103-17 

Flathead Project, 254, 257 

Flathead Valley, 22, 37, 103, 162, 
214, 233 

Flint Creek, 126, 127, 197, 199 

Flour Mills, First, 216 

Folsom, David E., 205, 207 

Forestry, 250, 262-70 

Forsyth, 168 

Fort Alexander, 54, 80 

Fort Assiniboine, 175 

Fort Belknap, 237 

Fort Benton, 49, 56, 57, 63, 76, 79, 
81, 97, 98, 99, 100, 122, 123, 124, 
132, 133, 151, 161, 163, 171, 172, 
175, 176, 197, 201, 207, 212, 230 

Fort Benton Chan tier, 18 

Fort Bridger, 83, 126, 127 

Fort Buford, 175, 

Fort C. F. Smith, 173 

Fort Cass, 79 

Fort Colville, 85, 86, 111, 113, 163 

Fort Custer, 175, 184 

Fort ElHs, 173, 174, 176, 194, 206 

Fort F. A. Chardon, 76, 78 

Fort Floyd, 74 

Fort Keogh, 175 

Fort Laramie, 54, 55, 107, 167, 168, 
179 

Fort Lewis, 76, 78, 79, 97, 117 

Fort Lisa, 28, 29 

Fort Logan, 174 

Fort McKenzie, 75, 76, 77, 78, 92, 93 

Fort Maginnis, 175 

Fort Missoula, 175, 187 

Fort Owen, 114, 213 



Fort Peck, 175, 254, 257 

Fort Phil Kearny, 173, 174 

Fort Piegan, 49, 51, 76, 77 

Fort Pierre, 71, 96, 167, 168 

Fort Randall, 167 

Fort Sarpy, 80, 168 

Fort Shaw, 118, 174, 176 

Fort Union, 46, 47, 54, 56, 68, 72, 
73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 79, 81, 82, 85, 
92-8, 101, 132, 171, 175, 212 

Fort Union Chantier, 18 

Fort Van Buren, 80 

French Fur Traders, 2, 12, 68, 240 

Fruit Growing, Early, 213 

Fur Traders, 12, 13, 28-30, 45-53, 
61-90, 158-9 

Fur Traders, Earliest, 45, 46 

Fur Traders, French, 2, 12, 68, 240 

Fur Traders, journals, 87-90 

Fur Trappers, Free, 73 

Furs, The kind preferred by Cana- 
dian Companies, 71 

Furs, Value of a Pack, 69 

Gallatin River and Valley, 42, 145, 

169, 215, 216 
Garrison, 209, 211 
Gass, Patrick, 31 

Gate of the Mountains, 5, 24, 25 
Geysers, 206 

Gibbon, Gen. 179, 181, 187-9 
Glasgow, 255 
Gold, First finding of, 123 
Gold Creek, 123, 126 
Gold Dust, 122, 133, 152, 196, 217 
Gold Quartz, 197, 199, 226 
Government Mails, Establishment 

of, 146 
Governors, State, 227, 228 
Governors, Territorial, 147, 207, 208, 

226 
Graham, 167 



INDEX 



297 



Granite Mountain Mine, 199 

Grant, John, 126 

Grasshopper Creek, 128 

Great Falls, 212, 274 

Great Falls of the Missouri, 15, 16, 

23, 24, 62, 212 
Great Northern Railway, 212, 261, 

273, 274 
Green River and Valley, 68, 73, 80, 

83, 96, 105, 106, 110, 169, 170 
Green River Rendezvous, 69, 106 
Grinnell, George Bird, 45, 60, 230 
Gros Ventres of the Missouri, 41, 47 
Gros Ventres of the Prairies, 19, 21, 

39, 41, 45, 52, 92, 99, 100, 237 

Hallochs, 239-40 

Hamilton, William T., 229-31, 241 
Hauser, Gov. Samuel T., 205, 226 
Hedges, Cornelius, 205, 206-7 
Helena, 123, 150, 151, 172, 197, 

200, 208, 212, 223, 226 
Helena National Forest, 268 
Hell Gate, 145, 172, 214 
Hell Gate River and Valley, 11, 110, 

123, 167, 214, 216 
Henry, Andrew, 29, 30, 68, 83 
Henry's Fork of the Snake River, 30 
Henry's Lake, 30, 109, 170, 191 
Hill, James J., 212, 274 
Historical Society of Montana, 147, 

148-9, 194 
Historical Society of Montana, Con- 
tributions to, 5, 156, 174, 195, 206 
Historical Society of Montana, Li- 
brary of, 86, 131 
Horse Plains, 85 
Horses, 36, 37, 40, 41, 48, 217 
Howard, Gen. O. O., 187, 188, 191 
Hudson Bay Company, 84-7, 103, 

109, 113 
Huet, Brother Charles, 110, 116 



Humphreys, G. O., 153, 200, 201 
Huntley Project, 254, 257 

Idaho, 129, 147-8, 172, 187, 267, 274 

Idaho Reservations, 237 

Immel and Jones, 67, 68 

Indian Allotment of Lands, 245 - 

Indian Farmers, 246-8 

Indian prayers, Translation of, 117 

Indian Sign Language, 239 

Indians, Present condition of, 242-8 

Indians as citizens, 245 

Iroquois Indians, 103-9 

Irrigation, 250-7 ^^ 

Irrigations Projects, 254-7 

Irving, Washington, 33, 64, 88, 89 

Ives, George, 142 

Jackson's Hole, 13 

Jefferson, Thomas, 8, 25, 32 

Jefferson County, 148 

Jefferson Island, 109 

Jefferson River and Valley, 10, 15, 

20, 42, 45, 67, 109, 215 
Jesuit Missionaries, 103-19 
Jocko Reservation, 86, 114, 115, 232, 

233, 234, 237 
Joseph, Chief of the Nez Perces, 59, 

186, 187, 191, 192, 195 
Judicial Officers appointed, 146, 147 
Judith River, Council at, 57-9, 102 
Judith River and Valley, 21, 23, 39, 

57, 78, 92, 100, 164, 175, 215, 271, 

272 

Kahspell Indians, 22, 113 
Keel-boats, 10, 17, 76, 92 
Kipp, James, 76, 77 
Kootenais Indians, 22, 150, 237 

Langford, Nathaniel P., 128, 129, 
138, 143, 155, 206, 207 



298 



INDEX 



Larpenteur, Charles, 75, 79, 80, 88 
Last Chance Gulch, 150-1 
Legislative Assembly, First, 146, 147 
LesUe, Gov. Preston, 226 
Leupp, Francis E., 242, 247 
Lewis and Clark County, 148, 216 
Lewis and Clark Expedition, 8-12, 

15, 16, 17, 19-21, 23-5, 31, 32, 

41-5, 63, 93, 106 
Lewistown, 272, 274 
Lisa, Manuel, 13, 28-30, 32, 33, 

63-6 
Little Big Horn, 175, 180 
Little Dog, 58, 230-1, 241 
Livingston, 223 
Lo-Lo Trail and Canyon, 11, 163, 

187 
Logan, Capt, 174, 190 
Looking Glass, 187 
Louisiana Purchase, 8 
Lower Yellowstone Project, 254, 257 

McCormick, Paul, 236 
McDonald, Angus, 86-7 
McDonald, Duncan, 86 
McKenzie, Kenneth, 71-5 
Mackinaw boats, 17-8, 93 
Madison County, 148, 216 
Madison River and Valley, 42, 206, 

215 
Major Jim, 238 
Malta, 256 
Mandan Indians, 4-6, 9, 12, 18-9, 

23, 30, 41, 53, 62, 63, 68, 158, 159 
Marias Pass, 212 
Marias River and Valley, 15, 16, 21, 

22, 63,72,76, 176,273 
Marysville, 226 
Masons, 137 

Maximilian, Prince, 91-4, 100-1, 102 
Maynadier, Lt, 168-9, 170 
Meagher, Gen. Francis, 207, 229, 240 



Meagher County, 151 

"Meat Straight," 126 

Meek, Joseph, 87 

Mengarini, Father Gregory, 110, 111, 

114 
Michelle, 233 

Miles, Col. Nelson A., 191, 192 
Miles City, 223, 272 
Military posts, 173-6, 193 
Military Roads, 164-7, 171-2, 177, 

193 
Milk River and Valley, 21, 22, 46, 

100, 175, 212, 255, 256, 273 
Milk River Project, 254, 255-7 
Milwaukee Railway, 271, 272, 273 
Miners' Court, A, 135 
Minnetarees (of the Missouri), 10, 

23, 41, 42, 43, 47, 48, 54 
Minnetarees (of the Prairies), 19, 41 
Missionaries, 53, 103-19, 213, 240 
Missions, Life at the, 115, 116, 117 
Missoula, 145, 172, 197, 214, 272 
Missoula County, 148, 216 
Missoula Mine, 200 
Missoula River and Valley, 166, 172, 

214, 216 
Missouri Fur Company, 63, 65, 67, 

68 
Mitchell, David D., 77, 92 
Mizpah Creek, 168 
Montana (the name) 147, 208 
Montana Agricultural College 

Experiment Station, 258, 261 
Montana City, 151 
Montana made a State, 227 
Montana made a Territory, 146-7 
"Montana Post," 155, 156 
Moody, Dr., 195 
Mullan, Lt. John, 161-7, 193 
Mullan Road, 171-2, 193 
MusselsheU River and Valley, 21, 39, 

271, 272, 273 



INDEX 



299 



National Forests, ^GS-TO 

National Park, A, 207 

Navigation of the Missouri, Ending 

of, 211 
Nebraska, 167, 170, 2o8, 263, 264 
Neihart, 225-6 
Nelson Reservoir, 256 
Nevada City, 141, 142, 143 
Newell, Frederick H., 254 
Newlands Bill, 253 
Newspapers in the Mails, 146 
Nez Perces Indians, 20, 86, 105, 107, 

176, 186-92 
Norris, Gov. Edwin L., 228 
Northern Pacific Railroad, 164, 172, 

209-11, 223, 254, 261 
Northwestern Company, 85 

O'Fallon, Major B., 158 

Old Snag, 238 

Oregon Missionaries, The first, 106-7 

Oregon Territory, The, 8, 12, 53, 

84-5, 107, 123, 172, 186, 187 
Oregon Trail, 54-5, 84 
Original Mine, 200 
Owen, Major, 114, 214 

Parkman, Francis, 5, 30 

Parrot Mine, 200, 202 

Pathfinders, 83 

Paxson, E. S., 183, 184, 249 

Peace Councils, 53 

Pembina Carts, 98 

Pemmican, 35 

Pend d'Oreille Indians, 22, 58, 115, 

186, 214, 231, 233, 237, 240 
Periogues, 15 
Philipsburg, 197, 199, 226 
Piegan Indians, 21, 45, 48-52, 73, 

77, 230, 231, 237 
Pierre's Hole, 13, 70, 109 
Pioneers, 154-5 



Placer Mmmg, 151-4, 196, 197 
Platte River, 54, 69, 105, 120, 168, 

172 
Plummer, Henry, 136-41, 143-4, 155 
Pomt, Father Nicholas, 97, 110, 111, 

114, 117-8 
Pony Express, 201 
Portage at the Great Falls, 15 
Post Creek, 85, 86 
Potts, Gov. Benj. F., 208, 226 
Powder River and Valley, 172, 177, 

179 
Powell, Major J. W., 251-2, 254 
Powell County, 201 
Prickly Pear Valley, 176, 215, 222 
Projects, Irrigation, 254-7 
Prospectors, 122-7, 132, 177-8, 

198-9, 217, 271 
Pryor's Fork of the Yellowstone, 67 

Railroads, 1, 97, 102, 123, 159-62, 
164, 192-3, 208-12, 271, 274 

Rain-in-the-face, 182 

Rainfall, Annual, 260 

Rattlesnake Hills, 199 

Rattlesnake Ranch, 139 

Ravalli, Father, 113-4 

Ravalh County, 114 

Raynolds, Capt. Vs\ F., 167-71, 193 

Reclamation Fund, 253 

Reclamation Ser\4ce, 254 

Red Eagle Lake, 255 

Red Rock Lake, 109 

Religious Service, The First in 
Montana, 109 

Rendezvous, 69, 73 

Reno, Major, 180-1 

Reservation Projects, 257 

Reservations, 236-7, 245-6, 257 

Richards, Gov. John E., 228 

"River of the West," by Mrs. F. F. 
Victor, 87 



300 



INDEX 



Road Agents, 133-46, 155 

Robe-makers, 47 

Rocky Fork Creek, 168 

Rocky Mountain Fur Company, 64, 

68-70, 80, 83, 88 
Rocky Mountains, 22, 24, 25 
Rosebud River, 80, 172, 179 
Roundup, 272 

Sacajawea, 10, 19, 42, 43 

St. Ignatius Mission, 115-7 

St. Louis, 9, 12, 29, 49, 61, 71, 80, 

89, 91, 95, 105-6, 109, 132, 172 
St. Louis Fur Traders, 61-5 
St. Mary's Lakes, 255-6 
St. Mary's Mission, 112-5 
St. Mary's Reservoir, 255-6 
St. Mary's River, 256 
St. Peter's Mission, 118 
St. Regis Borgia Valley, 163, 165, 

166 
Saleesh House, 85 

Salmon River Country, 11, 128, 274 
Salt Lake Trail, 84, 121 
Sanders, Col. Wilbur F., 138-40, 142, 

146, 156 
Saw Milling, 269 
Saxi, Ignace, 107 
Schools, Public, 147 
Scientific Farming, 257-62, 271, 274 
Sequoia, 269 

Settlement of Montana, First, 127-8 
Sheep Raising, 221-3 
Sheep eaters, 22 
Shoshones, 9-11, 19, 20, 22, 35, 37, 

38, 42-4, 53, 237, 238 (see also 

Snakes) 
Silver Bow, 152, 201 
Silver Bow County, 201 
Silver Bow Creek, 152, 200 
Silver Mines, 198, 199, 204, 225, 226 
Silverthorne, 122 



Sioux Indians, 4, 39, 107, 108, 133, 

172, 173, 174, 177-86, 191, 234, 237 
Sisters of the House of Providence, 

117 
Sitting Bull, 185 
Small-pox, 52-3 
Smelters, 203, 225 
Smith, Gov. Green Clay, 207 
Smith, Gov. Robert B., 228 
Smith River, 174 
Smythe, William E., 252 
Snake Indians, 5, 29, 59 (see also 

Shoshones) 
Snake River and Valley, 13, 22, 

105, 127 
Sohon' s Pass, 163, 166 
Sources of History, 30-4, 59-60, 

87-90, 100-2, 119, 155-6, 192-5, 
Spanish occupancy and traders, 7, 9, 

36, 113 
Stage coaches, 133, 146, 208 
Stage Stations, 197 
State Government, 226-7 
Steamboats, 1, 63, 81-3, 92, 132-3 
Stevens, Hazard, 99, 100, 102 
Stevens, Gov. I. L, 55-9, 97-100, 

102, 123-4, 160-2, 229, 231 
Stevensville, 112, 188, 213, 214 
Stewart, Gov. Samuel V., 228 
Stinking Water River, 168 
Stock-raising, 113, 217-23, 246, 272 
Stomus, 239-40 
Stone Walls, The, 23, 93 
Stuart, Granville, 124-9, 156 
Stuart, James, 124-7, 128, 129 
Stuart, Tom, 127 
Sublette, Andrew, 68 
Sublette, Milton, 68, 70 
Sublette, William, 68, 70 
Sun River and Valley, 21, 118, 174, 

215, 254, 257 
Sun River Project, 254, 257 



INDEX 



301 



Surveys, 97-9, 123, 159-61*, 192-3, 

232 
Swift Current Creek, 255 

Tendoy, 238 

Territorial Capital, 223-4 

Territorial Committee of Congress, 

147 
Territorial Government, 147-9 
Teton County, 255 
Teton Mountains, 13 
Teton River, 118 
Texas Cattle, 220 
Thompson (fur trader), 85, 86 
Thompson Falls, 85, 86 
Three Feathers or Stomus, 239 
Three Forks of the Missouri, 10, 11, 

19, 22, 25, 29, 42, 43, 67, 68, 109, 

169, 170, 272, 273 
Thwaites, Reuben G., 33, 84, 90, 101 
Tilden, Henry, 140 
Timber Culture Act, 265 
Tongue River and Valley, 172, 175, 

177, 237 
Toole, Gov. Joseph K., 227-8 
Trading Posts, 28-30, 48, 74-80, 85 
Trappers, 83, 122 
Travonia Mine, 200, 201 
Treaties with Great Britain, 84-5, 

256 
Treaties with Indians, 51, 59, 229- 

31 
Tribal Homes, 21, 22, 231, 232 
Tulloch, A. J., 79 
Tulloch's Fork, 168 
Twdsted Hair, 20 
Two Dot, 272 
Two Thousand Mile Creek, 158 

Union Pacific Railroad, 209 
United States Army, Engineering 
Dept., 160, 167 



United States Army, Garrison Life, 

193-4 
United States Army, Military 

Roads, 164-7, 171-2, 177, 193 
United States Army, Regiments in 

Montana, 173-4, 179, 189, 194, 

205 
United States x\rmy and Navy 

Journals, 193 
United States Army Posts, 173-6, 

193 
United States Dept. of Agriculture, 

261 
United States Dept. of Interior, 252 
United States Geological Survey, 

251, 252, 254 
United States Indian Ser\nce, 242 
United States Mail, 146, 201 
Upper Missouri Outfit, 71 

"V. F." Ranch, 217 
Vandalia Diversion Dam, 256 
Verendryes, The, 2-7, 10, 14, 22-3, 

30-1 
Vernon, William, 201 
Victor, 161-2, 233, 240 
Victor, Mrs. F. F., 87 
Vigilantes, 137-45, 155 
Villard, Henry, 210-1 
Virginia City, 131, 133-44, 149, 150, 

156, 172, 197, 201, 224, 238 
Voyageurs, 18 

Wagon Road over the Mountains, 

162-7, 171, 172 
Walla-Walla, 165, 166, 171, 172 
Wallowa Valley, 186 
Washburn, Henry D., 205 
Washington Territory, 97, 98, 123, 

160, 163 
Water Rights, 253-4 
White, Gov. Benj. F., 226 



302 



INDEX 



White, John, 128 

White Bird, 187 

Whitman, Marcus, 107 

Wind River and Mountains, 5, 13, 

22, 169 
Wool, 223, 272 
Wyoming, 70, 88 



Yellowstone National Park, 13, 22, 
83, 84, 89, 170, 191, 204-7 

Yellowstone Posts, 79 

Yellowstone River and Valley, 11, 
13, 21, 25, 28, 29, 38, 39, 42, 69, 
79, 85, 158, 167, 177, 218, 223, 235 

"Yellowstone" Steamer, 76, 92 



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